Chopper landing light causes National Park to burn

THE Australian Defence Force is standing by the aircrew responsible for starting a devastating bushfire that burnt through nearly 8000 hectares of protected land.

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THE Australian Defence Force is standing by the aircrew responsible for starting a devastating bushfire that burnt through nearly 8000 hectares of protected land.

A Townsville MRH90 Taipan was flying in ACT’s Namadgi National Park in search of potential helicopter landing zones for fire fighters when it accidentally sparked a massive bushfire that would grow to be one of the worst in the region’s history.

The aircrew took at least 45 minutes to notify emergency responders, and waited until they landed at Canberra Airport, despite knowing they were responsible for the blaze.

The Orroral Valley fire had been growing at a rate of more than 400 hectares per hour, and was more than 7,900 hectares in size at its peak.

An Australian Army 5th Aviation Regiment loadmaster observes the area near Mount Ginini close to the New South Wales and Australian Capital Territory border.

“The ACT Emergency Services Agency became aware of the fire in accordance with their protocols and responded within 20 minutes,” a Defence spokesman said.

“The exact location of the fire was provided to ACT Emergency Services Agency immediately following an emergency landing at Canberra Airport.”

The aircraft remained grounded at RAAF Fairborn for weeks until undergoing repairs to “significant damage” it sustained as a result of the fire.

The ADF launched an aviation safety investigation on January 29, two days after the incident.

As a result, revised aircraft procedures relating to the use of aircraft lighting in extreme weather conditions have since been incorporated in helicopter manuals.

There was no single person found to be at fault for starting the blaze as the search and landing lights were used in accordance with standard operating.

The Orroral fire in the Namadgi National Park seen from Red Hill Lookout in Canberra, ACT, Friday 31 January 2020. Picture by Sean Davey.

“The aircrew had been airborne for several hours in hazardous environmental conditions, including extreme heat and smoke, prior to the incident,” the Defence spokesman said.

“The MRH-90 landed and the crew of the helicopter switched off the lights shortly thereafter.

“Several seconds later, a crewmen observed a fire increasing in size under the left-hand side of the aircraft. He advised the pilots of the situation and they took off immediately.”

The defence spokeswoman declined to answer as to why emergency responders weren’t notified immediately, but did commend aircrew for their actions.

“Once airborne, the aircrew relayed the MRH-90’s in-flight emergency situation to Canberra Air Traffic Control and their higher military commanders,” the spokesman said.

“The crew determined that the safest course of action was to land at Canberra Airport, as it provided the nearest safe landing area with access to emergency services in the event of a problematic landing.

“This decision was recognised by senior aviation supervisors as most appropriate given the circumstances.”

The incident became part of an ACT government review into operational responses to the 2019/2020 Bushfire season.

The “Review of Whole of ACT Government Coordination and Response during the 2019-20 Bushfire Season” found that the ACT was well prepared to respond to the summer’s bushfires that resulted in the destruction of $10.2 million of insurable assets in Namadgi National Park.

“Rural landholders bore the brunt of the lost infrastructure, along with the impact on income providing vegetation and pasture,” Deputy Commissioner Johnson’s review said, noting that “the impact was significant to them and is likely to have long-reaching effects.

“This will require detailed and considered rehabilitation to address both the immediate impact and the long term recovery of this important ecological and cultural area.”

Originally published as Chopper landing light causes National Park to burn