ATSB reveals key safety failures before Pannikin Island helicopter crash
The Australian Transport Safety Bureau has found that before the helicopter crash on Queensland’s Pannikin Island in February, a snap decision was made to conduct an advanced maneuvering exercise during a training session.
An instructor and student were flying a Utility Helicopters R22 helicopter together when they crashed into Pannikin, seriously injuring the instructor.
In a report published on Tuesday, the ATSB said no decision was planned to introduce “torque turns”, a maneuver that involves quickly completing a 180-degree change in flight direction at the end of the lesson.
ATSB transportation safety director Dr. “If the decision to conduct torque turns had been agreed before the flight, this would have allowed for a full ground briefing to establish torque turn procedures, discuss the execution of the manoeuvre, and provide a common understanding of how to execute practical turns,” said Stuart Godley.
Additionally, the ATSB found that as the student’s ability improved, the pair began their turning exercises at 50 feet above the ground, rather than “starting higher and working their way down.”
The ATSB said the low level did not allow for any “margin of error”.
“In a training environment where a student has limited experience of managing unexpected aircraft behaviour, it is vital to achieve and maintain adequate altitude for rescue,” Dr Godley said.
The duo departed from Archerfield Airport, south of Brisbane, at around 7.30am on February 26 and flew to Pannikin to conduct advanced emergency training.
The student successfully completed four rounds before breaking on the fifth attempt.
“As the course neared completion, they elected to perform one more torque rotation before returning to base,” the report said.
“The instructor stated that he noticed that the wind had increased a little and started to blow hard, but these were not considered abnormal conditions, and both he and the student had flown in these conditions before.
“The instructor explained that at the peak of the final torque rotation, they were 100-150 ft (above ground level) as they began to descend to increase airspeed and return to level flight.
“During recovery the instructor noticed that the nose of the helicopter was pointing slightly towards the ground at an altitude of approximately 20 ft.
“The instructor recalled that they were about to correct the student when a sudden gust of wind increased the descent speed.
“Aware of the proximity to the ground, the instructor immediately took over the controls and reminded to move the loop aft to stop the descent rate.
“The instructor reported that the helicopter was shaking, shaking, and there was a concussion in the community, but he was unable to prevent the helicopter from hitting the ground.”
The couple later told the ATSB that they estimated the collision was sudden and hit the ground at 60 to 70 knots.
The helicopter skidded about 40 to 50 meters before flipping over.
The couple were rescued by a colleague from Archerfield.
Paramedics met the instructor and student at the airport and took them both to the hospital.
In a new warning to other instructors and students, the ATSB said the accident highlighted the importance of adhering to a pre-planned training curriculum.
“Torque turns are not included in the syllabus, are not a requirement for a commercial helicopter pilot licence, and were not discussed in the pre-flight briefing,” Dr Godley said.
