- Date
- July 23, 2019, 11:07 local (11:07 UTC)
- Place
- Limpopo Province, South Africa
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- ZS-HLJRIchards Heavylift UH-1H
- Defining event
- Enroute: Loss of engine power (total)
- NTSB office
- Western Pacific Region
- Lead agency
- Other
- Case key
- 99938
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Factual narrative
On July 23, 2019, about 1107 coordinated universal time, a Richards Heavylift Helo Inc., UH-1H, South African registration ZS-HLJ, operated for fire fighting, and equipped with a Textron Lycoming T-53 engine, reported a loss of engine power near Woodbush farm. The pilot auto-rotated the helicopter to a field, where it impacted hard, and resulted in the main rotor blades striking the tail rotor shaft. The pilot, sole occupant onboard, was not injured. The South African Civil Aviation Authority (SACAA) is investigating the accident. As the state of manufacture of the helicopter and engine, the NTSB has designated an US accredited representative to assist the SACAA in its investigation. All inquiries concerning this accident should be directed to the SACAA of South Africa: South African Civil Aviation Authority Private Bag X 73 Halfway House 1685 Website: www.caa.co.za
Aircraft
- Registration
- ZS-HLJ
- Reported as
- RIchards Heavylift UH-1H
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 66-16606
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Operator
- FFA Assets (PTY) LTD
- Registered owner
- FFA Assets (PTY) LTD
- Departed
- Letaba Air Base