An ATSB investigation into a fatal helicopter crash found the pilot was flying after sunset without the correct qualifications or equipment, prompting new safety procedures at the remote cattle station where he was working.
A Robinson R22 helicopter like the one that crashed. The image has been digitally altered by the ATSB. The ATSB has delivered its final report into a helicopter crash that killed a pilot near Kowanyama , in Queensland 's Gulf Country, in October.
The investigation found the pilot was flying without the correct qualifications and the helicopter was not equipped for night flying. The report says new safety procedures are now in place at the remote station where the pilot was working. Share article The final report into a fatal helicopter crash in remote Queensland has found the pilot was flying without the correct qualifications and equipment for a night flight.
The man died when the Robinson R22 Beta II helicopter crashed near Kowanyama, about 500 kilometres north-west of Cairns, in the Gulf of Carpentaria, in October. , the Australian Transport Safety Bureau said the pilot was helping track a bushfire, but was still in the air after last light and crashed while returning to home base.
It found the 27-year-old pilot held a valid helicopter licence, but there was no record of him training or qualifying to fly under night visual flight rules .
" was beyond the experience, beyond the qualifications of the pilot, but also beyond the limits of the helicopter itself in terms of the equipment for flying," ATSB chief commissioner Angus Mitchell said. The helicopter was operated by MDH Pty Ltd, one of the country's largest beef producers, which employed the pilot. The report found that flying after last light was a regular practice for the company, which has since amended its safety procedures.
"We found, through looking at some of the flight tracking data, I think it was 39 occasions in the last six months where this company's pilots flew beyond the legal minimums into the night," Mr Mitchell said. As a result of the crash, the report notes MDH now requires pilots and station managers to ensure aircraft are grounded before last light, with pilots responsible for determining the official last light time before operations.
It said the company had also strengthened safety procedures by adding fatigue and risk assessments to pre-flight planning and introducing a pilot mentoring and supervision program, including pre-season low-level risk assessments and a standardised mustering workshop.the pilot was mustering cattle by air near Dunbar Station before travelling to Rutland Plains to collect a colleague and conduct aerial reconnaissance for another muster scheduled for the following day. After dropping off his colleague, the pilot flew to a nearby location to retrieve equipment parts for the planned muster, when he spotted a bushfire.
" was being used late in the afternoon, assisting with a bushfire — I guess, tracking a bushfire — and guiding vehicles in to actually fight that bushfire," Mr Mitchell said. "Now, what we found was that it stayed out beyond last light, so after the sun's gone down, and on its way back to its base has tragically crashed and the pilot has lost their life.
"Whilst we understand there are operational pressures in every operation and certainly in rural Australia, and they were there tackling the bushfire ... we do know the very real consequences of when you start pushing safety margins. "This is the fourth accident similar to this just in my tenure, and that's been in the last five years, so that's four accidents that should never have happened.
" In a statement, MDH Pty Ltd said it fully cooperated with the ATSB inquiry and was "carefully considering the report’s findings and recommendations". "The safety of our operations and our people remain MDH's highest priority and we are committed to continually reviewing and improving our safety practices, including in light of the ATSB's findings," it said. "Our thoughts remain with the family, friends and colleagues and with all others affected by this tragedy. "
Crash Accident Fatal Australian Transport Safety Bureau Queensland Kowanyama Muster Aerial Pilot Qualifications Bushfire Capabilities
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