Robinson R22 Forced Landing in Free State (ZS-RLV)

Incident Overview and Location On 3 December 2018, a Robinson Helicopter Company R22 Beta, registration ZS-RLV, was involved in an accident in the Free State Province of South Africa. The aircraft made an unsuccessful forced landing at Farm Potgietersleger in the Ventersburg district. The accident site was located at coordinates 28°08’01.58” South and 027°19’29.29” East, at an elevation of 4,658 feet above mean sea level. The flight was a commercial operation conducted under Part 127 of the Civil Aviation Regulations, with the pilot and a passenger on board. The purpose of the flight was to search for jackals that were threatening livestock on the farm. Both doors of the helicopter were removed to improve visibility during the low-level flight along the Koolspruit River.