A firefighting helicopter crashed during operations above Hout Bay on 25 March, but the pilot walked away unharmed. Mike Bothma, an experienced pilot with Kishugu Aviation, escaped the incident involving a yellow Huey helicopter. An investigation by the South African Civil Aviation Authority is underway.
On 25 March, a yellow Huey firefighting helicopter operated by Kishugu Aviation crashed while battling a fast-moving blaze above Hout Bay and Constantia Nek in Table Mountain National Park. The aircraft clipped a cliffside, descended in what was described as a relatively controlled manner, then flipped over, ripping off its rotors. The incident was captured on video and called “bloody scary” by those involved in the operation. Pilot Mike Bothma emerged unharmed, though shaken, marking a narrow escape in one of aviation's most perilous tasks. Linton Rensburg, team leader at Kishugu Aviation, said: “He’s a little bit shaken, but we’re just glad that he was able to walk away from it.” Rensburg added that the helicopter “landed elegantly, gently, it’s just a pity it tipped over,” and noted, “We’ve never had an accident on Table Mountain.” Emergency services, including Wilderness Search and Rescue, City of Cape Town Fire and Rescue, and private medical responders, were activated immediately. An incident management team secured the site as aviation authorities took over. Firefighting efforts continued despite the crash. Kishugu Aviation emphasised its cooperation with investigators, stating: “At this stage we have no further information available.” The South African Civil Aviation Authority will probe flight conditions, pilot actions, environmental factors, and the cause of the rotor strike. Rensburg remarked: “You know, I have no idea how that happened. Let’s see what will come out from the investigation.” Aerial firefighting involves low flights over steep terrain amid smoke, turbulence, and strong winds, using Bambi buckets to drop water on flames. This event highlights the razor-thin margins in such operations amid Cape Town's summer wildfires.
