A helicopter crash off the coast of South Africa has been traced back to an unlikely culprit—an endangered penguin being transported in a cardboard box.
According to South Africa’s Civil Aviation Authority, the crash, which occurred in January, caused serious damage to the aircraft but left all four people on board unharmed. Remarkably, the penguin was also uninjured.
The investigation, released this week, found that the box containing the penguin had shifted during the flight and slid into the pilot’s pitch control lever. This led the helicopter to tilt abruptly, causing the rotor blades to strike the ground and forcing a crash landing.
The penguin, which was being moved from Bird Island—an offshore reserve known for its colony of endangered African penguins—to the coastal city of Gqeberha for rehabilitation, was reportedly calm throughout the ordeal.
Photos included in the official report showed the cockpit of the damaged helicopter alongside the patched-up cardboard box that held the unsuspecting passenger.
South African National Parks, speaking to AFP, confirmed the animal was en route to receive care when the incident occurred. Bird Island, where the accident took place, is home to nearly 3,000 African penguins, a species classified as endangered.
The aviation authority criticised the pilot for failing to follow proper safety regulations, stating that “the lack of secure containment for the penguin created a dangerous situation”.
Despite the seriousness of the findings, the incident sparked a wave of humour on social media, especially in light of recent geopolitical tensions involving remote islands inhabited by penguins.
Online users drew tongue-in-cheek connections between the crash and a recent announcement by US President Donald Trump, who introduced tariffs on a range of imports—including bizarrely from Australia’s Heard Island and McDonald Islands, uninhabited volcanic isles populated only by penguins and seals.
“Trump was 100% right. These penguins are a problem for world security,” joked one X user. Another commented, “This trade war is escalating quickly.”
Although the tariffs—initially announced on 2 April—were suspended for 90 days, the absurdity of the situation was not lost on observers, who joked that the penguins might be plotting their revenge.
