# NTSB WPR19WA015: Bell UH -1H, Vermaaklikheid, South Africa, October 23, 2018

- Type: NTSB accident investigation
- Classification: Accident · Fatal · Foreign investigation
- Date: October 23, 2018, 07:45 local (07:45 UTC)
- Place: Vermaaklikheid, South Africa
- Coordinates: -34.307777, 21.024444
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=-34.3078&lon=21.0244&mi=10
- Phase of flight: [Maneuvering](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/450) (OpenAirDocs' grouping)
- Defining event: [Maneuvering: Loss of control in flight](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/240)
- Highest injury: Fatal
- Injuries: 1 fatal
- Status: Led by another country's authority
- NTSB office: Western Pacific Region
- Lead agency: Other
- NTSB case key (mKey): 98542
- NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=WPR19WA015
- NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/98542/pdf
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR19WA015

## Sequence of events

The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event best describes what happened.

- [Maneuvering: Loss of control in flight](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/240) (defining event); cases with it: [All aircraft, 5,002 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/240/sequence.md)

## Factual narrative

On October 23, 2018, about 0745 Coordinated Universal time, a Bell UH-1H helicopter, ZS-HLP, impacted terrain during a firefighting mission near Vermaaklikheid, South Africa. The pilot sustained fatal injuries and the helicopter was substantially damaged in the post-impact fire. The helicopter was operated by Kishugu Aviation under the pertinent civil regulations of the government of Africa. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed. The local flight departed Stillbaai Aerodrome, Western Cape, South Africa about 0615. The Civil Aviation Authority of South Africa, Accident & Incident Investigation Division (AIID) is investigating the accident. As the state of manufacture of the helicopter, the NTSB has designated a US accredited representative to assist the AIID in its investigation. All inquiries concerning this accident should be directed to: South African Civil Aviation Authority Accidents and Incidents Investigation Division Private Bag X 73 Halfway House 1685 South Africa Tel: +27 (0) 11 545-1000 Website: http://www.caa.co.za

## Aircraft

- Registration: ZS-HLP (not matched to a registry record)
- Reported make and model: Bell UH -1H (No Series)
- Category: Helicopter
- Serial number: 68-15554
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Fire: On-Ground
- Flight: Firefighting, Part 137
- Operator: Kishugu Aviation
- Registered owner: Kishugu Aviation
- Departed: Stillbaai
- Destination: Stillbaai

From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

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