Divers launch search for fatal chopper crash near Anna Bay
Police divers will begin the difficult task of finding a helicopter which crashed into water off NSW’s north coast six days ago. The Queensland chopper is believed to have crashed into the sea at 280km/h in high winds, killing all five people aboard.
Newcastle
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A day-long search has failed to find any trace of a helicopter believed to have crashed into the sea off Port Stephens, killing all five occupants.
Water police and divers spent seven hours searching a specific area off Birubi Point where the helicopter may have settled on the bottom, about 30 metres under the surface.
Despite using specialist equipment, including cameras and sonar to search for objects under water, the search teams failed to locate anything of significance.
The search is expected to continue on Friday.
Thursday morning was the first significant attempt at finding the machine and its five missing occupants.
Five days of relentlessly high seas and poor weather had thwarted any considered attempt at positively locating the helicopter, which dropped off the radar last Friday night in horrendous conditions.
Respected pilot David Kerr, Queensland mates Jamie Ogden and Grant Kuhnemann, and Sydney couple Jocelyn Villanueva and Gregory Miller are all believed to be have perished in the crash.
Searchers have been unable to pinpoint the resting place of the 1966 Bell UH- 1H, a type used by US and Australian forces in the Vietnam War and modified by Mr Kerr.
However, an area about three nautical miles (5.5km) off Birubi Point – at the northern end of Stockton Beach – has been identified as the place where the helicopter, nicknamed “Huey”, crashed into the sea at speeds of up to 280km/h.
Expert advice suggested similar helicopters were known to sink quickly, rather than float away in strong currents, leaving searchers to hope that divers will be able to quickly locate any wreckage on the sea floor once they hit the water.
And although it is unknown how damaged the wreckage could be – or even whether any bodies remain with the sunken machine – the lack of debris found in the six days since the crash could suggest it remains relatively intact.
Water police vessels will aid the team of five police divers after a risk assessment of the area was conducted on Wednesday afternoon. Another assessment will be done on Thursday morning.
The divers boarded water police launch Intrepid at Nelson Bay about 7.45am on Thursday before travelling out of Port Stephens and south towards the search site.
A decompression chamber remains at d’Albora Marina at Nelson Bay.
The initial operation will be to locate the helicopter using the “sight-searcher’’ camera before possibly retrieving any bodies.
Any plan to float and salvage the machine will be made afterwards.
The Australian Safety Transport Bureau said investigators would examine any recovered wreckage, interview witnesses, assess aircraft and pilot records and weather information, and review and available recorded date.
The helicopter had left Mr Kerr’s hangar in Archerfield and stopped at Coffs Harbour Airport about 4pm on Friday to refuel.
It was destined for Bankstown Airport when it took off an hour later but flew straight into strong westerly winds sweeping across the east coast with a cold front.
The last communication between Mr Kerr and Williamtown air traffic control was a request to travel at a higher altitude.
There was no mayday call.
Investigators have also renewed appeals for witnesses who the helicopter fly over Anna Bay on Friday night to contact authorities.