An unusual incident in South Africa earlier this year involved a penguin inside a cardboard box and a helicopter crash, authorities have revealed.

According to a South African Civil Aviation Authority investigation report released this week, on January 19th, a pilot and three passengers were transporting a penguin from Bird Island in the Eastern Cape province during an aerial survey.

The report stated that a specialist on board asked to transport one of the penguins back, and the pilot agreed. The penguin was then placed in a cardboard box.

Although the pilot conducted a risk assessment before the flight, he failed to include the transportation of the penguin.

The passenger in the front left seat was holding the penguin when the cardboard box slid to the right and onto the pilot’s cyclic pitch control lever.

The report explained that this caused the cyclic pitch control lever to move to the extreme right position, leading the helicopter to roll to the right. The pilot was unable to regain control in time.

The helicopter crashed, resulting in significant damage.

The incident occurred while the helicopter was approximately 50 feet above the ground.

Fortunately, no one was injured, including the penguin.

The report concluded that 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 unsuitable for the flight conditions. Proper cargo handling is crucial to prevent items on board from interfering with flight controls or endangering passenger safety.

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