Inquest opens into helicopter death of top search and rescue pilot Roger Corbin

“That’s just too dangerous.” A student of top pilot Roger Corbin, who died in a training exercise at Hobart Airport, says his teacher never would have instructed him to perform a dangerous mid-air manoeuvre.

Decorated search and rescue pilot Roger Corbin died in 2017 during a simulated training exercise at Hobart Airport.

Three Hobart airport workers have recalled the tragic helicopter crash that killed one of Australia’s most experienced search and rescue pilots.

Timothy Dalton and Anthony Gunton were both in the air traffic control tower on November 7, 2017, when Roger Corbin’s helicopter nosedived to the ground during a simulated training exercise.

Aviation Rescue Fire Fighting substation officer Brett Maloney also witnessed the crash, in which Mr Corbin died instantly.

John Osborne, who was being trained in how to land a helicopter in an emergency without hydraulic systems, was also injured in the tragedy.

The four-day inquest, which opened before Coroner Olivia McTaggart on Monday, is looking into the condition of the AS350 Squirrel single engine helicopter, weather conditions on the day in question, and the effect of “wake turbulence” – or how air is disturbed after a jet takes off.

Roger Corbin. Picture: NewsLimited.

The inquest is also investigating whether a hydraulic cut-off switch had a pre-existing fault, the suitability of training in “area x-ray” – a site near Hobart Airport’s runway, and whether Mr Corbin had briefed his student before taking off.

Mr Corbin, 57, was a highly-decorated rescue pilot who owned Hobart helicopter company Rotorlift Aviation.

In 2020, the Australian Transport Safety Bureau found control of the helicopter was lost when it entered a crosswind in a high hover, and that there had been a failure to follow safety warnings in the aircraft’s flight manual.

On Monday, Mr Maloney said a regular passenger jet had left Hobart about 5.15pm on the day in question, with a four-minute delay required before other aircraft could fly in the area.

He said everything seemed normal when Mr Corbin’s helicopter later flew into “area x-ray”, aiming towards the runway and positioning itself at a 45 degree angle.

However, Mr Maloney said the helicopter then descended into the ground.

Gerard McShane said he purchased the Squirrel helicopter from Mr Corbin in 2006, and had an arrangement that Rotorlift could continue using it for search and rescues in return for regular services.

He said he’d trained in the same hydraulics exercise a number of times with Mr Corbin, who he described as a top pilot.

Mr McShane said Mr Corbin and other instructors trained him to never hover with the hydraulics off – and said the pilot would never have suggested he do so.

“No. Why would he do that? That’s just too dangerous,” he said.

“He wouldn’t have said it.

“That was the instruction from all the instructors – you should always try to land into wind.”

A number of expert witnesses are expected to give evidence on Wednesday, while Mr Osborne is due to give evidence on Thursday.

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Originally published as Inquest opens into helicopter death of top search and rescue pilot Roger Corbin