How a penguin in a cardboard box caused a helicopter crash in South Africa

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After Gus the penguin was found walking on a beach in Australia three weeks ago, the Parks and Wildlife Service has sent the bird on a vessel back home after helping him regain his strength and health.

A penguin inside a cardboard box caused a helicopter crash in South Africa earlier this year, according to authorities. 

On Jan. 19, a pilot and three passengers transported a penguin back from Bird Island in South Africa’s Eastern Cape province while conducting an aerial survey of the area, the South African Civil Aviation Authority said in an investigation report this week. 

A specialist on board “requested that they transport one of the penguins back,” the report said, adding, “The pilot agreed to the request and the penguin was placed in a cardboard box.”

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The investigation said the penguin wasn’t secured properly in the helicopter.   (South African Civil Aviation Authority)

Although the pilot did a risk assessment of the flight, “he omitted to include the carriage (transportation) of the penguin on-board.”

The passenger sitting in the front left seat of the helicopter was holding the penguin in their lap when the “cardboard box slid off to the right and on to the pilot’s cyclic pitch control lever.

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The report continued: “As a result, the cyclic pitch control lever advanced to the far-right position. The helicopter rolled to the right and the pilot could not recover timeously.”

The helicopter hit the ground and “sustained substantial damage.”  (South African Civil Aviation Authority)

The helicopter hit the ground and “sustained substantial damage.” 

This all happened while it was flying about 50 feet off the ground. 

No one, including the penguin, was harmed in the incident. 

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The report concluded: “The lack of secure containment for the penguin created a dangerous situation. The absence of a proper, secured crate meant that the penguin’s containment was not suitable for the flight conditions. Proper cargo handling is crucial to ensure that items on-board do not interfere with flight controls or the safety of the passengers.”