iscover
The Robinson R44, registered VH-KOV, was brought down by a seized clutch actuator lower bearing resulting in a loss of engine power to the rotor system, the ATSB found. Two passengers were severely injured, while the pilot and third passenger escaped with minor injuries.
Registered VH-VQX, the aircraft – the first of two on order from Airbus, with the second to arrive by the end of the year – makes WA Police the first law enforcement jurisdiction in the Southern Hemisphere to operate the H145.
The investment will include renovations and the construction of new facilities to accommodate the helicopter and crew, which will arrive from 2025.
Though an initial review has not found any safety issues from airspace arrangements, CASA has called for pilots and operators to give feedback as part of a broader investigation. CASA’s review is separate to an ongoing ATSB investigation into the crash, expected to finish in the second half of next year, but the authority will cooperate with the ATSB as part of its work.
The base, which cost $3.4 million, will include a hangar large enough to house a Leonardo AW139 helicopter, and will be home to the LifeFlight Surat Gas Aeromedical Service (SGAS), which is provided by LifeFlight on behalf of Surat Basin Gas companies.
The pilot of the LongRanger, VH-ZMF, was killed when the helicopter crashed on 9 July, 2022, after colliding with the eagle just below the front left windscreen, which according to the ATSB resulted in the aircraft breaking up due to the pilot’s reaction.
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