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| Date: | Friday 17 October 2003 |
| Time: | 21:40 |
| Type: |  Bell 407 |
| Owner/operator: | CHC Australia opf RACQ CQ Rescue |
| Registration: | VH-HTD |
| MSN: | 53105 |
| Year of manufacture: | 1997 |
| Engine model: | Rolls-Royce 250-C47B |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 3 / Occupants: 3 |
| Other fatalities: | 0 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | 3.2 mi E of Cape Hillsborough, QLD -
 Australia
|
| Phase: | En route |
| Nature: | Ambulance |
| Departure airport: | Hamilton Island Airport, QLD (HTI/YBHM) |
| Mackay Airport, QLD (MKY/YBMK) | |
| Investigating agency: | ATSB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Information verified through data from accident investigation authorities |
On the evening of 17 October 2003, an air ambulance Bell 407 helicopter, registered VH-HTD (HTD), being operated under the 'Aerial Work' category, was tasked with a patient transfer from Hamilton Island to Mackay, Queensland. The crew consisted of a pilot, a paramedic and a crewman. Approximately 35 minutes after the departure of the helicopter from Mackay, the personnel waiting for the helicopter on the island contacted the Ambulance Coordination Centre (ACC) to ask about its status. ACC personnel then made repeated unsuccessful attempts to contact the helicopter before notifying Australian Search and Rescue (AusSAR), who initiated a search for the helicopter. AusSAR dispatched a BK117 helicopter from Hamilton Island to investigate. The crew of the BK117 located floating wreckage, that was later confirmed to be from HTD, at a location approximately 3.2 nautical miles (NM) east of Cape Hillsborough, Queensland. There were no survivors.
Although the forecast weather conditions did not necessarily preclude flight under the night Visual Flight Rules (VFR), the circumstances of the accident were consistent with pilot disorientation and loss of control during flight in dark night conditions. The effect of cloud on any available celestial lighting, lack of a visible horizon and surface/ground-based lighting, and the pilot's limited instrument flying experience, may have contributed to this accident. Although not able to determine with certainty what factors led to the helicopter departing controlled flight, the investigation determined that mechanical failure was unlikely.
Sources:
https://www.atsb.gov.au/publications/investigation_reports/2003/aair/aair200304282
https://www.atsb.gov.au/sites/default/files/media/24411/aair200304282_001.pdf
https://7news.com.au/news/helicopter-crash-that-killed-three-men-remains-a-mystery-21-years-on-c-16423559
https://www.helis.com/database/cn/45101/
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 21-Jan-2008 10:00 | ASN archive | Added |
| 01-Mar-2013 10:37 | TB | Updated [Cn, Other fatalities, Damage, Narrative, ] |
| 02-Mar-2013 14:11 | TB | Updated [Operator, Location, Source, ] |
| 04-Mar-2013 03:12 | TB | Updated [Time, Total fatalities, Total occupants, Phase, Nature, Departure airport, Destination airport, Narrative, ] |
| 04-May-2014 19:20 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Time, Location, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Embed code, Narrative, ] |
| 04-May-2014 19:21 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Source, Narrative, ] |
| 08-Oct-2014 13:32 | TB | Updated [Time, Location, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Embed code, Narrative, ] |
| 21-Oct-2024 08:23 | Aerossurance | Updated [Operator, Other fatalities, Location, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Narrative, ] |
| 21-Oct-2024 08:32 | Aerossurance | Updated [Operator, Other fatalities, Source, Narrative, ] |
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