ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 223077
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| Date: | Wednesday 13 March 2019 |
| Time: | 14:28 |
| Type: |  Robinson R44 Raven I |
| Owner/operator: | Helifarm Pty Ltd |
| Registration: | VH-ZWK |
| MSN: | 1994 |
| Year of manufacture: | 2009 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 1 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | near Bool Lagoon, SA -
 Australia
|
| Phase: | Manoeuvring (airshow, firefighting, ag.ops.) |
| Nature: | Agricultural |
| Departure airport: | Bool Lagoon, SA |
| Bool Lagoon, SA | |
| Investigating agency: | ATSB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
a Robinson R44 helicopter, registered VH-ZWK and operated by Helifarm, was conducting aerial spraying operations at Bool Lagoon, around 20 km south of Naracoorte, South Australia.
While spraying along a drainage channel, the helicopter pilot momentarily forgot about the location of a powerline spanning the channel, as he manoeuvred the helicopter over a bridge. The helicopter collided with the powerline, then crashed into the ground. The helicopter was destroyed and the pilot sustained minor injuries.
What the ATSB found:
The helicopter pilot momentarily lost awareness of the powerline as he manoeuvred over the bridge. Nearby vegetation, which reduced the pilot’s ability to see the power poles and visually identify the powerline, probably reduced the pilot’s ability to maintain this awareness. The operator had a number of policies and procedures to support pilots’ powerline awareness, and it may not be possible to completely mitigate the risk of wirestrike during repeated low-level flying near powerlines.
As a result of this momentary loss of awareness, the helicopter collided with the powerline, which led to a collision with terrain. The bladder-type fuel tank installed in the accident helicopter, as compared to an all-aluminium fuel tank, probably reduced the risk of a post-accident fire.
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-03-13/helicopter-crashes-into-powerlines-in-south-east-sa/10897328
https://www.atsb.gov.au/publications/investigation_reports/2019/aair/ao-2019-011/
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 16-Mar-2019 12:27 | Pineapple | Added |
| 18-Mar-2019 08:00 | Pineapple | Updated [Time, Registration, Cn, Operator, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Damage] |
| 21-Mar-2019 20:26 | RobertMB | Updated [Aircraft type] |
| 03-Jul-2019 07:55 | harro | Updated [Narrative, Accident report, ] |
Corrections or additions? ... Edit this accident description
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