Two men have died after their helicopters collided on a Kimberley cattle station

Two men have died after helicopters they were piloting collided on a Kimberley cattle station.

Two helicopters have collided near a cattle station in the Kimberley town of Camaballin in Western Australia’s northwest killing the pilots on board.

Two men have died after their helicopters collided while they were mustering cattle in the west Kimberley.

The crash happened at the Mount Anderson Station near Camballin in Western Australia’s northwest, about 300km east of Broome, at 6.20am on Thursday.

Police reported the helicopters collided shortly after takeoff.

“Sadly, both pilots – a 29-year-old man and a 30-year-old man – died as a result of injuries received during the crash,” a police spokesperson said.

The helicopters crashed near a cattle station in the Kimberley town of Camaballin in Western Australia’s northwest.

Both pilots were the only people on board when the helicopters crashed.

A WA Police spokesperson said the Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) has been notified and will conduct a transport safety investigation into the incident.

ATSB chief commissioner Angus Mitchell said they had commenced an investigation into the mid-air collision of two Robinson helicopters.

Mr Mitchell said four helicopters were departing to conduct mustering near Mount Anderson Station when two of the helicopters collided.

Australian Transport Safety Bureau Chief Commissioner Angus Mitchell said they had begun an investigation and would release a report in about two months. Supplied Sky News

“The ATSB is deploying a team of transport safety investigators from its Canberra and Brisbane offices, with expertise in aircraft operations and maintenance, to the site,” he said.

“They will conduct a range of evidence-gathering activities including wreckage examination and site mapping, and will recover any relevant components for further examination at the ATSB’s technical facilities in Canberra.

“Investigators will also seek to interview witnesses, and collect relevant recorded data, as well as pilot and aircraft maintenance records, and weather information.”

Mr Mitchell said the ATSB would release a preliminary report detailing factual information established in the investigation’s evidence gathering phase in about two months.

A final report will be released at the conclusion of the investigation and will detail analysis and findings.

“However, should a critical safety issue be identified during the investigation, the ATSB will immediately notify relevant parties so safety action can be taken,” Mr Mitchell said.

Originally published as Two men have died after their helicopters collided on a Kimberley cattle station