Robinson R44 accident near Annerdale, Za, September 25, 2009
On September 25, 2009 at about 9:00 pm local time, a Robinson R44 (helicopter), registered ZSRMN, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute (cruise) near Annerdale. It was an aerial observation flight under non-U.S. private rules. No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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
- September 25, 2009 · about 9:00 pm local time
- Place
- Annerdale, South Africa · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Robinson R44 UNDESIGNAT · all R44s on the register
- Registration
- ZSRMN · no longer on the register
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial observation flight · non-U.S. private rules
The NTSB's narrative preliminary · quoted from the NTSB record
On September 25, 2009, about 2100 UTC, ZS-RMN, a Robinson R44, operated by National Airways Corporation, landed hard during an autorative landing near Annerdale, South Africa. The pilot and passenger were not injured. The helicopter was substantially damaged. There was no fire. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the flight en route from Germiston to Midrand in Gauteng Province. The accident is being investigated by the South African Civil Aviation Authority. The US Accredited Representative is Dennis Jones, NTSB, Washington, D.C.
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
What happened, in order
- Powerplant sys/comp malf/fail during enroute (cruise) defining event
- Autorotation Hard landing
The aircraft
- Landing gear: fixed
- Operator: National Airways Corporation
The flight
- Departed from: FAGM Germiston
- Destination: FAGC Midrand
- Flight plan: not recorded
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.