Cause of Tarome chopper crash released after pilot’s miracle escape

The cause of a firefighting chopper crash can be revealed as new information on the incident which led to a miracle escape has been released.

The cause of a chopper crash that saw a firefighting helicopter fall into a dam can be revealed more than a year after the pilot’s miracle escape.

Grant Schulz, the pilot of the doomed fire fighting vehicle said he was “incredibly lucky” following an accident at Tregony last year.

The QFES subcontracted chopper was in the Scenic Rim, collecting water from a Tarome property’s private dam, when it crashed into the water in September 2023.

The incident happened just before 3pm on September 20, 2023, with emergency services rushing to the aid of the pilot, who was the sole occupant of the aircraft.

It is understood the pilot swam to the surface of the dam after the helicopter crashed into the water and sank.

The helicopter above the dam at Tarome, moments before the crash. (Photo: 7News)

The governing investigative body, the Australian Transport Safety Bureau, has released their findings from an investigation into the chopper’s loss of control and crash into the dam.

“The cables attaching the Bambi Bucket to the helicopter had been caught over the left rear skid by the time the helicopter was on approach to the dam and when it was uplifting water into the bucket,” ATSB director transport safety Kerri Hughes said in a press release.

The Bambi Bucket is used to collect water for firefighting efforts, and can hold up to 9800 litres of water in some cases.

“As a result, due to the tethered weight over the left rear skid, when the pilot began lifting the bucket from the dam, the helicopter’s centre of gravity moved aft and left. This created asymmetric lift loads, resulting in the helicopter’s loss of control,” Ms Hughes said.

As the helicopter hit the water, it became inverted and flooded with water, quickly sinking to the dam floor.

Luckily, the pilot had taken a course in escaping sinking aircraft in water training, “which increased their chances of survival when the helicopter submerged in the dam”.

The reason for a Bell Helicopter Co 204B crash at Tarome, Queensland, on 20 September 2023 can be revealed. (Photo: ATSB)

“There can be a lack of visual references, visual illusions over water, limited visibility and vertical reference of the hook and external load through mirrors and bubble windows, which all add complexity when operating helicopters with external loads over water,” Ms Hughes said.

“As Australia moves into another fire season, this accident investigation highlights how correct cable positioning is vital to the safety of external lift operations.”

Pilot Grant Schulz said last year he was tasked to attend a fire at Tregony on the day of the incident.

“I became airborne and travelled out near the fire, when I went into the first dam to get a bucket of water unfortunately there was some kind of an ‘uncommanded’ aircraft movement and resulted in the helicopter rolling into the water,” Mr Schulz said.

“I rolled upside down pretty quickly, I undid my seat belt and fell to the bottom which was the roof of the helicopter.

“I’m not a very good swimmer and I’m not very good at holding my breath so initially the adrenaline and I guess that point when I had one door left I started to have a little bit of realisation that it was my last chance.

“The training, you commit to motor memory, the training it saved my life.”