1 of 2 | Authorities in South Africa said a helicopter crash on Bird Island was caused when a penguin in a cardboard box slid off a passenger’s lap and interfered with the controls. Photo courtesy of the South African Civil Aviation Authority
April 11 (UPI) — The South African Civil Aviation Authority said a low-altitude helicopter crash that didn’t result in any injuries was caused by an unusual passenger famous for its lack of flight experience — a penguin.
The SACAA’s incident report said the pilot and three human passengers landed on Bird Island, off the Eastern Cape, on Jan. 19, and a passenger described as a “specialist” placed a penguin from the island in a cardboard box and brought it aboard the aircraft.
“The pilot conducted a risk assessment of the flight; however, he omitted to include the carriage (transportation) of the penguin on-board,” the report said.
The passenger riding in the front seat of the helicopter held the box containing the penguin on his lap, securing it with his hands, but he lost his grip just after take-off and the box slid into the pilot’s cyclic pitch control lever.
The lever was pushed to the far-right position, causing the helicopter to roll to the right and strike the ground with its rotors.
The report said the helicopter, which landed on its side, “sustained serious damage, but no human or penguin passengers were harmed.
“The lack of secure containment for the penguin created a dangerous situation. The absence of a proper, secured crate meant that the penguin’s containment was not suitable for the flight conditions,” the report said.
