Unsecured penguin caused helicopter crash in South Africa

A helicopter crash in South Africa was caused by an "unsecured" penguin.

The penguin was in a cardboard box on a passenger's lap. It slid off and hit the pilot's controls after take-off. This incident occurred on January 19 from Bird Island, Eastern Cape.

The South African Civil Aviation Authority reported that the impact led to the crash. Fortunately, no one on board was injured, including the penguin.

The authority stated that "the lack of secure containment for the penguin" created a dangerous situation.

This week, a report revealed that the flight was conducting an aerial survey of Gqeberha. After completing the survey, they landed to transport one penguin back to Port Elizabeth.

The report did not explain why they picked up the penguin. The aviation authority noted that the pilot conducted a risk assessment but failed to include transporting the penguin.

This omission violated Civil Aviation Regulations (CAR) 20