Anna Bay helicopter crash: Report on fatal flight found pilot was not qualified to fly at night

The Australian Transport Safety Bureau has released their report into a Port Stephens chopper crash in 2019 which tragically killed five people

An investigation into a helicopter crash at Port Stephens in 2019, which tragically killed five people, has found the pilot continued to fly after last light despite not having the appropriate training qualifications.

Respected pilot David Kerr, Queensland mates Jamie Ogden and Grant Kuhnemann, and Sydney couple Jocelyn Villanueva and Gregory Miller were all killed when the Bell UH-1H chopper plummeted into waters off Anna Bay on September 6.

Police were only able to recover two of the five bodies, the pilot and two others not found but presumed not to have survived the accident.

David Kerr, Queensland helicopter pilot involved in a fatal crash off Anna Bay in 2019.

Jamie Ogden victim of today Helicopter crash off Anna Bay NSW. Picture facebook

On Wednesday, The Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) released its findings into the fatal crash and maintained the pilot flew in “dark night conditions that provided no visual cues”, and likely became “spatially disorientated” which caused him to lose control of the helicopter, which was not equipped for night flying.

It was also found that the pilot did not disclose ongoing medical treatment for significant health issues to the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA).

Greg Miller & Jocelyn Villaneuva died in the Helicopter crash. Picture facebook

That prevented specialist consideration and management of the ongoing flight safety risk the medical conditions and prescribed medications posed.

The report stated various medications prescribed from a non-aviation medical specialist were “absolutely incompatible with flying with respect to CASA guidelines, as were the conditions in which they had been prescribed”.

It was discovered that three days before the accident, the pilot was prescribed diazepam, but it was determined unlikely that prescribed medication could have played any part in the accident.

Sgt Tony Hogg prepares the water police vessel "Intrepid" to head out from Nelson Bay to search after a helicopter crashed into waters off Anna Bay. Picture: Darren Pateman

A witness had also reported Mr Kerr had trouble sleeping in the week leading up to the crash and was operating with a level of fatigue known to affect performance.

During the private flight from Archerfield Airport in Queensland to Bankstown in NSW, the ATSB report found the helicopter had made radio calls to Williamtown air traffic control to indicate it was being affected by turbulence resulting in difficulty maintaining altitude.

Flight path of VH-UVC following the VFR coastal route passing Anna Bay and the turn offshore. Credit: ATSB report

The controller issued a clearance for the aircraft to operate between 2400 and 3500 feet.

Once past Anna Bay, and about 11 minutes past last night, the helicopter was observed to make a left turn to the south and head offshore, which likely resulted in the pilot losing visual cues, before it rapidly descended into a left spiral turn.

It was then the aircraft disappeared from Williamtown radar coverage before the wreckage of the destroyed chopper was located in about 30 metres of water, five kilometres southwest of Anna Bay, more than three weeks later on September 25.