It’s been a while since I covered a news event, but this one was perfect for the WTH motif. This feature is so topical, I couldn’t resist. Unfortunately, there have been several helicopter crashes that have made nationalbroadcast.Another story that has been popularized, is the 10% tariff charged to Norfolk Island, a remote area of Australia. The only inhabitants are penguins.
Bird Island
On the Eastern Cape of South Africa is a nature preserve called Bird Island. Scientists survey the area which is home to roosting seabirds and fur seals. On Jan 19, a researcher was bringing a penguin back for scientific reasons. There were three passengers, the pilot, and a penguin, scheduled to fly in a helicopter. Sounds like the beginning of a joke.
Flight Assessment
The pilot made the safety protocols for the pre-flight check. What was not included in the assessment was the penguin being carried in a cardboard carton by a passenger sitting in the front seat. The helicopter took off and rose to 49 ft (ca. 15 m). when disaster occurred. The carton slid off the passenger’s lap, releasing the penguin.
Holy Bird Feathers
The penguin touched the cyclic pitch control lever, which caused the craft to roll to its right. The rotors smacked the ground and crashed the helicopter. The good news is nobody was hurt, including the penguin. A much better result than the copter incidents out of New Jersey and Pennsylvania.
Conclusion
With this story coming to light, I am sure that the securing of animals on a flight will be better accessed. With its newfound publicity, I hope that Bird Island won’t be the next to be issued tariffs by the U.S. To that I say WTH!
