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Two helicopter pilots who collided shortly after take-off from a remote cattle station in WA last year failed to notice each other before the crash, the ATSB has said.
In its final report into the accident, which killed both pilots of the Robinson R22 helicopters VH-HQH and VH-HYQ at Mount Anderson Station in the Kimberley on 25 July 2024, the ATSB found that operator Pearl Coast Helicopters had not set appropriate separation standards.
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The two helicopters were transiting to a cattle mustering site 10 minutes away in the early hours of the morning when they collided about 150 feet off the ground, investigators said. According to the ATSB, the crash occurred after the lead helicopter manoeuvred to the right during the initial climb.
“Neither pilot detected their converging flight paths before the collision,” Angus Mitchell, chief commissioner of the ATSB, said.
“While limited data prevented a full visibility study to establish what each pilot could see, the wreckage examination indicated that at the point of collision the lead helicopter may have been in a blind spot for the second helicopter.”
The ATSB found that Pearl Coast did not have a set standard for separation, but instead allowed pilots to “arrange their own separation based on personal preference”.
“The tools used by the operator to consider and manage operational risk were not tailored to their main business of aerial mustering,” Mitchell said.
“Further, the risk of collision had not been identified in operational risk assessments, and the operator’s manuals did not provide documented procedures to ensure pilots establish and maintain adequate separation between helicopters.
“Pilots routinely flew with reduced vertical and lateral separation, and over time this became an accepted operating preference.”
With aerial mustering playing a “critical role” in Australia’s agricultural sector, Mitchell said the accident should “serve as a trigger for all mustering operators to consider their risk management practices, and whether they have scaled them adequately for their operation”.
“Defined separation minimums and pre-planned safe exits which provide an opportunity to identify and respond to emerging collision threats are important tools in assisting pilots avoid midair collisions.
“Additionally, airframe obstructions can limit visibility in even the most open cabins. This should be a key consideration when establishing how aircraft should be positioned when flying in close proximity.”
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