Bell 206B Helicopter Accident in Melmoth, South Africa (ZT-RBF)

Incident Overview and Location On 18 September 2018, at 0540Z, a Bell Helicopter Textron Bell 206B with registration ZT-RBF was involved in an accident during a commercial crop spraying operation. The helicopter took off from a private farm in the Melmoth area, KwaZulu Natal Province, South Africa, with the intention of spraying an avocado orchard on the same farm. The accident site was located at GPS coordinates 28°39’52.00” South, 031°24’43.00” East, at an elevation of 2,500 feet above mean sea level. The weather conditions at the time were clear (CAVOK), with a surface wind from 220° at 3 knots and a temperature of 16°C.