JOHANNESBURG: A field carrying an ailing penguin prompted a helicopter crash off South Africa, aviation authorities stated, prompting jokes on social media on Friday (Apr 11) about penguin-led revenge for US tariffs.
The helicopter was significantly broken within the crash in January, however not one of the 4 individuals onboard had been damage. “The penguin was additionally unhurt,” South Africa’s Civil Aviation Authority stated.
An investigation by the aviation physique launched this week discovered that the field slid into the pilot’s pitch management lever, inflicting the helicopter to roll and the rotor blades to strike the bottom.
The penguin was being transported from an island reserve to the southeastern coastal metropolis of Gqeberha for “rehabilitation”, the nationwide parks authority instructed AFP Friday.
The accident was on the tiny Hen Island off the southeastern coast of South Africa, dwelling to virtually 3,000 endangered African penguins.
The report accused the pilot of violating flight rules as “the shortage of safe containment for the penguin created a harmful state of affairs”.
