Penguins are a type of bird that cannot fly, but it turns out that these birds can cause a helicopter to crash while in flight. A bizarre incident of this nature recently occurred in South Africa.
According to a report by the South African Civil Aviation Authority on April 11, a helicopter crashed to the ground during low-altitude flight due to a penguin. Fortunately, there were no injuries or casualties.
In its preliminary investigation report, the authority stated that the helicopter pilot and three passengers flew to Bird Island in the Eastern Cape province on January 19.
The pilot mentioned that the purpose of the flight was to transport an expert to the island for an aerial survey. After completing the survey work, he found a suitable landing spot on the island and safely landed the helicopter.
However, the expert requested to take a penguin back with them on the return journey. The penguin was placed in a cardboard box by the expert, and the pilot agreed to this request.
The report indicated that the pilot conducted a risk assessment for the flight but did not consider the transportation of the penguin. As a result, this assessment did not comply with aviation authority regulations.
During the helicopter’s preparation for departure, the expert sat in the front seat with the cardboard box containing the penguin on their lap, supported by their hands.
However, after takeoff and at a height of about 15 meters above the ground, the expert lost control of the box, causing it to slide and hit the pilot’s control stick, pushing it to the far-right position, resulting in the helicopter rolling to the right, with the rotor blades hitting the ground.
The report mentioned that the helicopter made side contact with the ground, sustaining significant damage, but neither the occupants nor the penguin were harmed.
It was noted in the report that due to inadequate and safe containment measures for the penguin, given the lack of a suitable cage, the penguin’s transport conditions were not suitable for the flight.