Pilot stranded after Katherine flight to Kununurra forced to land

No mobile, no radio and 11 hours walk to the closest town. Here’s how a Katherine chopper pilot managed to escape the bush.

02 Apr 2004 Helicopter similar to the Bell 47 Helicopter from McDermott Aviation which crashed at Schultz Canal at Nudgee Beach today. Picture: Darren/England helicopters

A Top End pilot was left with no phone, no radio and 11 hours from help, following a chaotic chopper flight from Katherine to one of Australia’s most remote airports.

The Australian Transport Safety Bureau released its report into a Bell Helicopter 47G-5A engine failure near the Northern Territory border that occurred on February 8.

The aviation safety watchdog said the Bell Helicopter 47G-5A was operating a ferry flight between Katherine and Kununurra, Western Australia when the pilot noticed the engine "running rough”.

The chopper was 56km from East Kimberley Regional Airport when the smell of “hot oil” wafted into the cockpit.

ATSB said the pilot landed and noticed “oil dripping onto the exhaust creating smoke and that part of the exhaust from the middle cylinder had broken off at the manifold”.

Landing in the middle of the East Kimberleys with no mobile or radio reception and the pilot was stranded an estimated 11-hour walk to the closest town.

The ATSB said critically the Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon had been removed from the aircraft seven days earlier.

Luckily, the pilot had established a search action required time with East Kimberley Regional Airport, which meant that after a certain time period they would send a team to find them.

After a 30 minute wait, the pilot left a message on an internal group chat and then walked around the bush to find reception, but soon gave up.

The pilot issued three mayday broadcasts at different frequencies, hoping to contact an overflying aircraft of Brisbane, 3625km away.

Kununurra is a town in far northern Western Australia located at the eastern extremity of the Kimberley approximately 45 kilometres from the border with the Northern Territory.

They also attempted to hover the helicopter to find reception, however while landing and two feet off the ground the pilot heard a “pop” and lost power.

It took two hours and 45 minutes before a Robinson R22 happened to fly over and intercept the mayday calls.

The Robinson pilot then coordinated with a larger chopper to pick up the stranded pilot, who finally arrived at East Kimberley Regional Airport at 7.15pm.

The ATSB said the three-and-a-half hour ordeal was a reminder of the importance to always carry appropriate communications equipment and an EPIRB in remote areas.