An “unsecured” penguin caused a helicopter to crash in South Africa after it leapt out of a cardboard box onto another passenger’s lap, then jumped onto the controls during take-off. The bird was resting in a box on the passenger’s lap after being picked up for transportation during an aerial survey of Bird Island, aviation authorities report. But as the craft started to take flight, the passenger placed the cardboard box on their lap, securing it with their hands. “Whilst transitioning and about 15m above ground level (AGL), the cardboard box slid off to the right and onto the pilot’s cyclic pitch control lever. As a result, the cyclic pitch control lever advanced to the far-right position,” the report said. The craft then veered sharply to the right, and its rotor blades hit the ground, destroying the helicopter. Nobody was injured in the crash, including the penguin, and the 35-year-old pilot was advised to undergo further training on the correct way to follow safety procedures.
