Another Agusta helicopter crashes
Date: 15 December 2010
By Dean Wingrin
A SAAF Agusta A109 Light Utility Helicopter has crashed near Ballito on the KwaZulu Natal north coast at lunch time today.
A passenger onboard the helicopter suffered a broken back and pelvis, but the pilot and flight engineer did not sustain any serious injuries. However, the aircraft sustained serious damage, with the tail almost being seperated by the main rotor on landing. A witness has said that the a possible reason for the crash was the failure of the tail rotor and that the pilot did well to land the aircraft.
This is the second loss of a SAAF A109 helicopter in three weeks, when the A109 was Involved in a hard landing near Potchefstroom, causing severe damage. Fortunately, the crew were not seriously injured, but an A109 was lost with it's three crew members in May 2009 when it crashed into the Woodstock Dam while enroute to a mountain flying exercise.
No comment had been received from the SAAF at the time of this report.
