ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 247746
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| Date: | Thursday 11 February 2021 |
| Time: | 19:00 |
| Type: |  Robinson R22 Beta |
| Owner/operator: | Private |
| Registration: | VH-HKC |
| MSN: | 3666 |
| Year of manufacture: | 2004 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 1 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | Porcupine, W of Hughenden, north QLD -
 Australia
|
| Phase: | En route |
| Nature: | Private |
| Departure airport: | Wongalee Station, QLD |
| Reedy Springs Station, QLD | |
| Investigating agency: | ATSB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
On the evening of 11 February 2021, the pilot of a Robinson R22 Beta II helicopter, registered VH‑HKC was conducting a private flight near his property,110 km NNW of Hughenden, Queensland. During the flight, the weather conditions in the direction of his return to the homestead deteriorated. While avoiding weather, the pilot landed at an adjacent property to refuel and obtain directions. The pilot however continued flying away from their homestead arriving at another station about 24 minutes later. After refuelling, and 5 minutes prior to last light in dark night conditions, the pilot departed in a northerly direction. When the helicopter became overdue and unable to be contacted, a search for the helicopter was commenced. The following morning, the pilot was found fatally injured and the helicopter destroyed adjacent to an unsealed road 36 km from their Reedy Springs station.
The ATSB found that the pilot of VH-HKC, who did not hold a night visual flight rules (VFR) rating, instrument rating or had night flying experience, continued flying towards his destination in a remote area after last light.
Planning, operational and navigational decisions made by the pilot before and during the flight did not adequately address the risk of visual flight into dark night conditions. Notably, the pilot had a number of opportunities to discontinue the flight before last light when he refuelled his helicopter at other stations in the area.
The pilot continued flying through the period of civil twilight into astronomical twilight then, in dark night conditions and without local ground lighting, inadvertently allowed the VFR-only equipped helicopter to descend into terrain.
The ATSB found that the pilot likely navigated at low-level over a sealed road in poor light conditions which likely resulted in the helicopter contacting a powerline. Failure of the powerline resulted in a loss of ground lighting in the direction of flight. Then, shortly after turning onto an unsealed road in overcast, moonless conditions the helicopter departed the road after a bend in the road before flying over open grassland and colliding with trees and terrain in a left bank, nose-down attitude.
This accident highlighted the inherent high risk of night flying in remote areas due to the absence or degradation of the visual references for establishing an aircraft’s attitude and position. This risk is increased when night flying is attempted by pilots without night VFR or instrument flying qualifications. To avoid disorientation and the possibility of loss of control of their aircraft, day VFR pilots need to plan to arrive at their destination at least 10 minutes before last light and to have a realistic alternate plan if it becomes apparent that an intended flight cannot be completed in daylight.
The ATSB has previously published material as part of safety publication Avoidable Accidents No 7 - Visual flight at night accidents. The information contained in this document and supporting material is reiterated on release of this report.
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
https://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/national/queensland/elderly-pilot-found-with-helicopter-wreckage-after-north-queensland-crash-20210212-p5721r.html
https://www.atsb.gov.au/publications/investigation_reports/2021/aair/ao-2021-006/
Images:
Photos: ATSB
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 12-Feb-2021 07:12 | gerard57 | Added |
| 12-Feb-2021 07:33 | gerard57 | Updated [Source] |
| 12-Feb-2021 07:34 | gerard57 | Updated [Narrative] |
| 12-Feb-2021 08:20 | Aerossurance | Updated [Location, Narrative] |
| 15-Feb-2021 07:08 | SamwiseTheGreat | Updated [Registration, Cn, Source] |
| 16-Feb-2021 08:24 | RobertMB | Updated [Aircraft type, Location, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Narrative] |
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