South African officials have reported that a helicopter crash on January 19, 2025, was caused by a penguin that was on board.
The accident took place shortly after a Robinson R44 Raven II helicopter departed from Bird Island in the Eastern Cape province.
This week, the South African Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) detailed in its report that the penguin was contained in a cardboard box held on the lap of a researcher. Unfortunately, it soon slipped from the researcher’s hold shortly after the helicopter took off.
According to the report, during the transition phase, approximately 15 meters above the ground, the cardboard box shifted to the right and landed on the pilot’s cyclic pitch control lever.
This collision caused the lever to move suddenly to the right, resulting in a violent roll of the helicopter. The pilot was unable to regain control in time, leading to a rapid descent and the rotor blades striking the ground. Although the aircraft suffered significant damage in the incident, fortunately, neither the human occupants nor the penguin experienced serious injuries.
Additionally, the report noted that the containment for the penguin was inadequate for the flight conditions, as it lacked a secure crate.
The flight’s objective was to aid a researcher in carrying out a wildlife survey. Upon completion of this task, the helicopter landed on the island, where the scientist requested the transportation of one of the penguins back to Port Elizabeth.
The pilot, described in the report as a 35-year-old male with more than 1,650 flight hours and a license acquired in 2021, consented to the request. The penguin was secured in a cardboard box for the journey home. Although the pilot had conducted a pre-flight risk assessment, the investigation indicated that he did not consider the additional risks associated with transporting the animal on board.
The report suggested that pilots should undergo further training in managing flight risks.
In March, it was reported that Pretoria’s High Court has enacted a 10-year prohibition on commercial fishing in six regions along South Africa’s west coast to safeguard the endangered African penguin.
In 2024, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) designated the African penguin as “critically endangered,” marking it as the first of 18 penguin species to attain this classification. Over the last century, the population has plummeted by 97%, leaving fewer than 8,000 breeding pairs. The primary threat to their survival continues to be commercial fishing activities off the coasts of South Africa and Namibia.