Staff reporter

In its report into the incident on 28 August 2025, the safety watchdog noted that the PA-28, VH-TKX, had neither a functioning radio nor a transponder due to a broken alternator, and was communicating with other pilots in the race via a group chat on the way to Tindal.

The Helicopter Line, which operates sightseeing tours from bases in Queenstown, Aoraki/Mount Cook, Franz Josef and Fox Glacier, has entered into a new support-by-the-hour (SBH) contract with Safran to support operational reliability.

The awards acknowledge excellence across a broad cross-section of the industry, from high-performing technical, operations and communications specialists under 35 to leading reserve support and training development programs making a tangible impact nationwide.

VH-RRP, a Kubíček BB142P hot air balloon, sustained the 45cm tear while being cold-inflated prior to an early-morning flight near Beaudesert in Queensland on 18 October last year, and was patched up in the field with “specialised adhesive tape”, according to investigators.

The agreement will see Airnorth’s E170 and E190 aircraft provided with “comprehensive maintenance, repair and spare-parts support” through the planemaker’s Pool Program. Airnorth is one of three Australian airlines to operate the original E-Jets, alongside Alliance and NJE.

The aeromedical service flew more than 3 million kilometres and logged over 6,000 flight hours across the NT last year, with its Logistics Coordination Centre handling more than 200,000 calls. The organisation operates fixed-wing jets, turboprops, and rotary-wing aircraft.