They are impeccable 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 on the helicopter Robinson R44 Raven II held the box with the bird inside when the box changed on January 19, said the civil aviation authority of South Africa.
As the helicopter was about 50 feet from the ground, “the cardboard box slipped to the right and towards the driver’s cyclic control lever,” said the report.
The plane rolled, its rotor blades hit the ground and the helicopter crashed on its right side, according to the report.
“None of the occupants was injured; the penguin was also unscathed,” he said.
The accident occurred on Bird Island during a trip to conduct an air investigation off the southeast coast of the country.
No reason is given in the report to explain why Le Penguin was on board, only that a specialist leading the investigation asked for her to be brought back and that the pilot agreed.
The aeronautical authority noted that the pilot had not followed the appropriate procedures concerning freight.
The pilot carried out an inspection but “omitted from the state in the risk assessment, the intention of transporting the penguin in a cardboard box on board,” he said.
“The lack of secure confinement for penguin has created a dangerous situation,” he said.
The aeronautical authority underlined in the report that the accident shows the importance of adhering to safety rules.
