What happened
On 11 May 2022, a Robinson R44 Raven II helicopter, registration ZS-RKK, was engaged in a private wildlife capture mission at Kwalata Game Farm in Gauteng province. The flight, conducted under Part 91 regulations, involved the pilot and a gunner attempting to capture blesbok using a net gun.
During the operation, the crew spotted a target animal. As the pilot banked the helicopter to the right to maintain tracking, the gunner discharged the net gun. During this maneuver, one of the weights from the net gun struck the trailing edge of the helicopter's main rotor blade. Although the pilot did not detect any immediate vibration, a subsequent inspection of the aircraft revealed a dent on the blade's trailing edge. The pilot successfully performed a precautionary landing back at the farm helipad.
The investigation
An investigation by the SACAA AIID established that the aircraft was operating under visual meteorological conditions and that the weight and balance of the helicopter remained within limits during the incident. The pilot held a valid Private Pilot Licence with the appropriate culling rating, and the aircraft's Certificate of Airworthiness and Certificate of Release to Service were both current at the time of the event.
Findings
- The primary cause of the incident was a net gun weight striking the trailing edge of a main rotor blade.
- The incident occurred while the pilot was banking the aircraft to track a moving animal.
- There were zero fatalities and zero injuries resulting from the event.
- The aircraft sustained minor damage to the rotor blade.