Accident Robinson R22 Alpha VH-PYG, Friday 1 September 1989

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Date:	Friday 1 September 1989
Time:	17:30
Type:	Robinson R22 Alpha
Owner/operator:
Registration:	VH-PYG
MSN:	0390
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 1
Other fatalities:	0
Aircraft damage:	Substantial
Category:	Accident
Location:	240km NE of Katherine, NT - Australia
Phase:	Manoeuvring (airshow, firefighting, ag.ops.)
Nature:	Agricultural
Departure airport:	Bulman Station, NT
Destination airport:	Bulman Station, NT
Investigating agency:	BASI
Confidence Rating:	Accident investigation report completed and information captured

Narrative:
The pilot was assisting a ground party in mustering operations. He was pushing a group of bulls some 700 metres from the ground party when they saw the aircraft break away to the West, presumably to chase a breakaway bull. They then heard a dull thud and the noise from the engine of the helicopter stopped suddenly. The helicopter was found some 10 metres from the base of a six metre high dead tree. The pilot was seriously injured in the accident but he was later able to recall that there was, in his opinion, no fault with the aircraft and he had simply flown into the dead tree without seeing it. On site investigation confirmed the tree strike and showed that at the time of the collision, the aircraft was heading in a westerly direction into the low sun and dust . The tree struck by the helicopter was also disguised by another tree behind it. At the time of completing the report, the pilot was still in intensive care and unable to be interviewed.

Accident investigation: