ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 59849
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| Date: | Tuesday 5 May 2009 |
| Time: | 10:50 |
| Type: |  Robinson R22 Beta |
| Owner/operator: | Kimberley & Pilbara Air Services |
| Registration: | VH-PHT |
| MSN: | 3302 |
| Year of manufacture: | 2002 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 1 |
| Other fatalities: | 1 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | 15 Km SE of Springvale Station, 50 km N of Halls Creek, WA -
 Australia
|
| Phase: | Manoeuvring (airshow, firefighting, ag.ops.) |
| Nature: | Agricultural |
| Departure airport: | Springvale Station, Western Australia |
| Springvale Station, Western Australia | |
| Investigating agency: | ATSB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
On 5 May 2009, two Robinson Helicopter Company R22 Beta II helicopters, registered VH-PHT and VH-HCB collided midair about 15 km south-east of Springvale Station, WA. Both helicopters had departed the station just prior to sunrise that morning to conduct mustering operations.
The first helicopter was observed departing to the east in order to make radio contact with an adjoining station prior to heading for the mustering area. The other helicopter departed about 10 minutes later and was observed heading to the south-east, the general direction to the area that was to be mustered.
The helicopters were due to refuel at about 08:30 WST at a place to be arranged, depending on the progress of the mustering operation. When the pilots failed to respond to radio calls from ground personnel, a pilot from a nearby station was tasked to conduct a search by helicopter. The helicopters were subsequently located about 15km to the south-east of Springvale Station and about 2km north of the planned mustering area.
According to Inspector Jim Cave of the Western Australia Police: "I know that there appears to have been a collision between the two aircraft, they are about 30 metres apart from each other and a fire has gone through the scene,"
The circumstances of the accident were consistent with a midair collision while the pilots were positioning to commence the muster. The converging flight paths of the helicopters, pilot fatigue and sun glare from the rising sun are identified as contributing safety factors.
NOTE: The exact time of the accident is unknown. Both helicopters took off at around 05:45 WST, and were due back at base to refuel at 08:30 WST. It was at 08:30 WST that both helicopters were declared as "missing/overdue". The time of "10:50 WST" is the time that the wreckage of both helicopters were located, which would appear to be several hours after the crash.
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
1. http://web.archive.org/web/20100625050313/http://news.ninemsn.com.au:80/national/809954/two-pilots-die-during-kimberley-muster
2. https://www.atsb.gov.au/publications/investigation_reports/2009/aair/ao-2009-018/
3. http://www.abc.net.au/news/2009-05-05/deadly-chopper-collision-kills-both-pilots/1673348
4. http://www.griffin-helicopters.co.uk/accidentdetails.aspx?accidentkey=50669
5. http://www.atsb.gov.au/media/1352462/ao2009018.pdf
6. http://www.casa.gov.au/wcmswr/_assets/main/lib91211/may-jun10.pdf (p.55)
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 05-May-2009 22:49 | slowkid | Added |
| 05-May-2009 23:12 | harro | Updated |
| 06-May-2009 10:53 | harro | Updated |
| 26-Sep-2018 20:36 | Dr.John Smith | Updated [Time, Location, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Narrative] |
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