Robinson R44 Raven II crash near near Groenfontein Farm, Limpopo, South Africa

The R44 took off from Groenfontein Farm and, a few minutes later and about 800 metres out, the pilot saw a rhinoceros calf to his left and turned to look more closely. The turn took the helicopter out of wind, the airspeed fell below 50 knots and it descended below 400 ft above ground level. Rotor rpm decayed to about 90 percent and the low rotor rpm warning sounded. The pilot raised power but could not recover the rotor speed in time, and the helicopter struck the ground. He suffered minor injuries to his forehead, back and feet. The Civil Aviation Authority found that the turn out of wind at low speed, flown within the height velocity envelope, reduced rotor efficiency and led to a loss of control, with poor airmanship a contributing factor.