Robinson R-44 accident near Germiston, Za, April 26, 2008
On April 26, 2008 at about 7:53 am local time, a Robinson R-44 (helicopter), registered ZSPWG, was destroyed in an accident near Germiston. It was an aerial observation flight under non-U.S. private rules. 2 people were killed.
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 26, 2008 · about 7:53 am local time
- Place
- Germiston, South Africa · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were killed.
- Weather
- not recorded
- Aircraft
- Robinson R-44 · all R-44s on the register
- Registration
- ZSPWG · no longer on the register
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Aerial observation flight · non-U.S. private rules
The NTSB's narrative preliminary · quoted from the NTSB record
On April 26, 2008, about 0753 UTC, a Robinson R44, ZS-PWG, an aerial observation flight operated by National Airways Corporation, struck a hangar and collided with the ground during takeoff from Rand Aerodrome, Germiston, South Africa. The pilot and passenger were fatally injured. The helicopter was destroyed by impact forces and postcrash fire. The helicopter was on a local flight. The investigation is being conducted by the South Africa Civil Aviation Authority. The NTSB designated a U.S. Accredited Representative as the State of manufacture under the provisions of ICAO Annex 13. Please refer all questions about the accident to: Civil Aviation Authority Accidents and Incidents Investigation Division Private Bag X 73 Halfway House 1685 South Africa Website: http://www.caa.co.za
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Landing gear: fixed
- Fire on the ground
- Operator: National Airways Corporation
The flight
- Departed from: FAGM Germiston
Weather at the time
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.