ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 237656
Last updated: 12 September 2020
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| Date: | 04-JUL-2020 |
| Time: | 14:25 |
| Type: |  Robinson R44 Raven I |
| Owner/operator: | Avanova Pty Ltd |
| Registration: | VH-NBY |
| C/n / msn: | 2544 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 2 / Occupants: 4 |
| Other fatalities: | 0 |
| Aircraft damage: | Written off (damaged beyond repair) |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | Broome, Bilingurr, WA -
 Australia
|
| Phase: | Take off |
| Nature: | Private |
| Departure airport: | Bilingurr, WA |
| Bilingurr, WA | |
| Investigating agency: | ATSB |
A Robinson R44 Raven I, registered VH-NBY, was operated for a local scenic flight in Broome, Western Australia. The flight was conducted as a private operation under visual flight rules. On board were the pilot and three passengers.
The departure was from a confined, concreted area within an industrial property in Bilingurr, about 3 km north-north-east of Broome Airport. Nearby buildings, high fences, vehicles, and trees necessitated a vertical departure, and the pilot was familiar with the site.
The pilot started the helicopter, and it remained on the ground for 7 minutes, during which time the pilot arranged clearance for departure from air traffic control. Witnesses reported that the pilot then lifted the helicopter into a low hover for a few seconds before conducting a steep departure.
Three witnesses who were familiar with this departure process stated that nothing appeared out of the ordinary. None of the witnesses saw or heard the helicopter make contact with any obstacles or foreign objects.
As the helicopter reached a height of about 55 ft, witnesses heard a bang. One witness described the sound as similar to a metal bar hitting a metal pole. A recording from a fixed security camera nearby showed that the aft tail cone bulkhead, empennage, tail rotor gearbox and tail rotor assembly all separated from the helicopter in about one second.
The helicopter climbed to around 75 ft while rotating rapidly to the right, before rolling and impacting the ground on its right side, about 30 m from the departure point.
The pilot and a passenger, both seated on the right side, were fatally injured. The front left seat and rear left seat passengers were seriously injured. The helicopter was destroyed.
Sources:
https://www.9news.com.au/videos/national/pilot-and-young-girl-killed-in-broome-helicopter-crash/ckc8wvdx1001j0hqdpse4qb5a
https://thewest.com.au/news/disaster-and-emergency/several-people-feared-injured-in-helicopter-crashed-just-outside-broome-ng-b881598894z
https://au.news.yahoo.com/helicopter-crashes-north-072731960--spt.html
https://www.perthnow.com.au/news/disaster-and-emergency/one-dead-three-injured-in-broome-helicopter-crash-ng-b881598928z
https://www.broomead.com.au/news/regional/region-fares-well-at-tourism-awards-ng-b88659458z
ATSB:
https://www.atsb.gov.au/media/news-items/2020/r44-accident-update/
Location
The ATSB has released an update from its on-going investigation into the fatal accident involving a Robinson R44 helicopter at Broome, Western Australia on 4 July.
— ATSB (@atsbgovau) July 10, 2020
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 04-Jul-2020 08:15 | gerard57 | Added |
| 04-Jul-2020 08:18 | gerard57 | Updated [Total fatalities, Total occupants, Other fatalities, Location, Source, Narrative] |
| 04-Jul-2020 08:33 | Geno | Updated [Location, Source] |
| 04-Jul-2020 09:46 | Captain Adam | Updated [Aircraft type, Operator, Total fatalities, Phase, Nature, Narrative] |
| 04-Jul-2020 20:17 | Geno | Updated [Time, Phase, Source] |
| 05-Jul-2020 02:41 | Pineapple | Updated [Registration, Cn, Operator, Location, Nature, Source] |
| 06-Jul-2020 02:20 | RobertMB | Updated [Aircraft type, Registration, Cn, Location, Source, Narrative] |
| 10-Jul-2020 11:48 | Iceman 29 | Updated [Source, Embed code, Narrative] |
| 02-Sep-2020 10:55 | harro | Updated [Nature, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Embed code, Narrative] |
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