ATSB report says Kakadu chopper crash to be used as training example

A helicopter that crash landed during a rescue trip will be used as a training case study for future pilots. Read what happened.

Damage caused to an Aerospatiale AS.350BA helicopter during a crash landing in Kakadu National Park on June 1 2024.

A helicopter that crash landed during a rescue trip will be used as a training case study for future pilots.

The chopper was deployed from Jabiru Airport on June 1 this year to conduct a welfare search for missing hikers in Kakadu National Park.

An Australian Transport Safety Bureau spokesperson in a briefing said the helicopter left at 3.16pm carrying two people: the pilot and a crewman/spotter.

The spokesperson said the duo’s mission was to find two vehicles carrying “up to 10 people” in area that had recently been scorched in aerial burn-offs.

They said the crewman spotted six people and two vehicles a short time later, and the pilot chose to “land and make positive contact” after a brief search for more hikers.

“The pilot identified an area on a rock shelf in a creek bed which they assessed as suitable for landing.

“A reconnaissance was carried out during a descending orbit, making a final approach into wind facing the nearby hikers.

The chopper was deployed to search for missing hikers. Picture: File/Generic

“Approaching the hover, the pilot noted a rocky outcrop to the right.”

The spokesperson said the pilot believed the outcrop was far enough away to touchdown, but heard a loud noise and severe vibration during landing.

They said the pilot quickly manoeuvred the chopper a few metres to the left, landed immediately, and cut the engine.

The spokesperson said the pilot and crewman exited the aircraft.

“Noticing that the helicopter began to rock backwards, (the pilot) stood on the right front landing gear skid while the crewman and hikers propped the left rear skid shoe with loose rocks to secure it,” they said.

“There was significant damage to the helicopter tail boom and main rotor blades.”

The spokesperson said the company has reviewed its procedures for selection and assessment of unprepared landing sites, developed a guidance tool for pilots to “assess the urgency of landing against the complexity of the landing site”, and developed advice around acceptable distances and obstacle buffers.

They said the company has also reviewed the confined area sites used in pilot training and ordered incoming pilots to undergo a practical training refresher based on the incident.

“The occurrence will be used as a flight training case study,” the spokesperson said.

“This accident highlights the need to thoroughly assess the suitability of all landing sites and complete a 360-degree reconnaissance prior to landing.

“A full reconnaissance of the landing site probably would have allowed the pilot to make a better assessment of the height of the rock shelf and the limited size of the landing area.”

Originally published as ATSB report says Kakadu chopper crash to be used as training example