They are not flying for a good reason: a penguin in a cardboard box contributed to the accident of a helicopter in South Africa in January, according to a government report recently published.
A passenger in the Robinson R44 Raven II helicopter was holding the box with the bird inside when the box changed on January 19, the Civil Aviation Authority of South Africa said.
As the helicopter was about 50 feet from the ground, “the cardboard box slid to the right and to the pilot’s cyclic tone control lever,” says the report.
The plane rolled, his rotor blades hit the floor and the helicopter crashed on his right side, according to the report.
“None of the occupants was injured; the penguin was also unharmed,” he said.
The accident occurred in Bird Island on a trip to conduct an air survey on the southeast coast of the country.
There is no reason in the report of why the penguin was on board, only that a specialist who conducted the survey requested to be brought and the pilot agreed.
The aviation authority discovered that the pilot did not follow the appropriate procedures with respect to the load.
The pilot made an inspection but “omitted the State in the risk assessment of the intention to transport the penguin in a cardboard box on board,” he said.
“The lack of safe containment for the penguin created a dangerous situation,” he said.
The aviation authority emphasized the report that the accident shows the importance of complying with the security rules.
