Helicopter crash in South Africa attributed to penguin in a cardboard box that hit the pilot orders

A pilot and three passengers were not injured after their helicopter crashed with a low altitude in South Africa, according to an incident report.

An unsecured cardboard box holding a penguin caused the incident, said the incident report of the Civil Aviation Authority in South Africa.

The pilot and passengers were making an air survey flight from an island off the Cap Oriental in South Africa on January 19, 2025. The helicopter landed safely on Bird Island. Before leaving, one of the passengers, which the incident report described as a “specialist”, asking him to transport one of the penguins on the island with them. The pilot accepted and the penguin was placed in a cardboard box.

The passenger sitting to the left of the pilot held the box on his knees and secured it with his hands, according to the incident report. The pilot made checks before the flight but did not report the penguin as part of his flight plan, according to the report on incidents. The pilot started the plane and took off.

When the helicopter was at an altitude of about 50 feet, the cardboard box slipped on the passenger’s knees – on the driver’s cyclical control lever, according to the report of incidents. The helicopter rolled right. The pilot could not recover, according to the incident report. While the plane went down, the main blades of the helicopter rotor hit the ground and the helicopter landed on the side, about 60 feet from the place where it had taken off.

The plane has suffered substantial damage, but the pilot and passengers have not been injured, according to the incident report. The penguin was also unscathed, notes the report.

The incident report indicated that the penguin transported in an unmarked box did not comply with the safety protocols.

“The lack of secure confinement for the penguin has created a dangerous situation. The absence of an appropriate and secure fund meant that the containment of the penguin was not suitable for the flight conditions,” said the report.

The report has not declared whether the pilot will face consequences for the violation of the protocol.

“This accident highlights the importance of joining established security protocols and compliance with air -safety procedures,” noted the report.