| Date: | Saturday 6 July 2019 |
| Time: | 15:06 |
| Type: | Robinson R44 |
| Owner/operator: | Eifer's Holdings P/L |
| Registration: | VH-KCH |
| MSN: | 1548 |
| Year of manufacture: | 2005 |
| Engine model: | Lycoming O-540-F1B5 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 2 |
| Other fatalities: | 0 |
| Aircraft damage: | Substantial |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | Piries, 11km S of Mansfield, VIC -
Australia
|
| Phase: | Initial climb |
| Nature: | Private |
| Departure airport: | near Mansfield, VIC |
| Destination airport: | Moorabbin Airport, VIC (MBW/YMMB) |
| Investigating agency: | ATSB |
| Confidence Rating: | Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
Narrative:The pilot of a Robinson R44 helicopter, registered VH-KCH, was conducting a private flight from a property near Mansfield, Victoria, Australia, with one passenger on board. Shortly after take-off, the helicopter struck a powerline and subsequently collided with terrain resulting in serious injuries to the passenger and minor injuries to the pilot.
ATSB Findings:
• The helicopter’s track down the valley and a shallow climb gradient resulted in controlled flight into the unseen powerline that was not fitted with visual markers.
• The pilot’s pre-flight planning had not identified the powerline that was unknown to the property owner of the take-off site, and detail of the powerline network was not available to the pilot.
Accident investigation:
|
|
| | |
| Investigating agency: | ATSB |
| Report number: | AO-2019-031 |
| Status: | Investigation completed |
| Duration: | 5 months |
| Download report: | Final report
|
|
Sources:
https://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/national/victoria/two-injured-in-helicopter-crash-in-regional-victoria-20190706-p524s6.html https://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/victoria/helicopter-crash-near-mansfield/news-story/695a257c2938ee59718189f29445b118 https://au.news.yahoo.com/woman-critically-injured-helicopter-crash-mansfield-victoria-092736091.html https://www.casa.gov.au/aircraft-register?search_api_views_fulltext=&vh=KCH&field_ar_serial= https://www.regosearch.com/aircraft/photo/au/KCH/11869 https://www.atsb.gov.au/publications/investigation_reports/2019/aair/ao-2019-031/ Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
| 06-Jul-2019 06:46 |
gerard57 |
Added |
| 06-Jul-2019 06:55 |
Aerossurance |
Updated [Location, Phase, Source, Narrative, ] |
| 06-Jul-2019 09:07 |
gerard57 |
Updated [Narrative, ] |
| 06-Jul-2019 19:54 |
RobertMB |
Updated [Aircraft type, ] |
| 06-Jul-2019 23:20 |
Geno |
Updated [Registration, Cn, Operator, Source, ] |
| 07-Jul-2019 02:18 |
RobertMB |
Updated [Aircraft type, ] |
| 07-Jul-2019 05:46 |
Petropavlovsk |
Updated [Operator, ] |
| 13-Jul-2019 12:48 |
harro |
Updated [Time, Location, Source, Narrative, ] |
| 04-Dec-2019 16:43 |
harro |
Updated [Time, Phase, Departure airport, Destination airport, Narrative, Accident report, ] |
| 07-Nov-2023 13:05 |
Anon. |
Updated |
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