# NTSB WPR19WA203: RIchards Heavylift UH-1H, Limpopo Province, South Africa, July 23, 2019

- Type: NTSB accident investigation
- Classification: Accident · No injuries · Foreign investigation
- Date: July 23, 2019, 11:07 local (11:07 UTC)
- Place: Limpopo Province, South Africa
- Phase of flight: [Enroute](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/400) (OpenAirDocs' grouping)
- Defining event: [Enroute: Loss of engine power (total)](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/341)
- Highest injury: No injuries
- Injuries: 1 uninjured
- Status: Led by another country's authority
- NTSB office: Western Pacific Region
- Lead agency: Other
- NTSB case key (mKey): 99938
- NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=WPR19WA203
- NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/99938/pdf
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR19WA203

## Sequence of events

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

- [Enroute: Loss of engine power (total)](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/341) (defining event); cases with it: [All aircraft, 3,820 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/341/sequence.md)

## 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 (not matched to a registry record)
- Reported make and model: 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

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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