Rooivalk flys so low over house that rooftiles fall off
Date: 8 October 2004
The following is a rough translation from an Afrikaans article that appeared in Beeld:
A family from Navalsig in Bloemfontein is obtaining legal advice after a Rooivalk helicopter from the Bloemspruit Air Force Base flew so low over their house that the whirlwind caused by the helicopter ripped of the tiles from their porch.
The tiles landed next to Abigail Grobler (8), daughter of Mr Chris Grobler, who was playing in the front garden. When she saw the helicopter hovering over her house, she dived over her cat to close it's ears.
Grobler was watering his garden on Thursday at 17:30 when he saw the helicopter approach. The Rooivalk first hovered over the garden, then over the porch. Grobler said that when the Rooivalk hovered over the garden, the downdraught from the rotors caused him to fall.
Capt. Antheoline Smith, corporate communications officer of AFB Bloemspruit, said that a board of enquiry would be convened to investigate the incident.
