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The Advertiser
10-05-2025
- The Advertiser
'Someone's gonna die': fatal chopper crash probe ends
Not satisfied with the response to one crash, Captain Danniel Lyon offered a sobering assessment of the Australian army's MRH-90 Taipan helicopter. "Somebody is going to die from this," he said. Months later, Capt Lyon was killed along with three of his colleagues after their Taipan plunged into the sea off Queensland's Lindeman Island. His warning was recalled by his wife Caitland at an inquiry into the July 28, 2023 crash that also claimed the lives of Lieutenant Maxwell Nugent, Warrant Officer Class Two Joseph "Phillip" Laycock and Corporal Alexander Naggs. The inquiry before former judge Margaret McMurdo heard Capt Lyon attended an Australian Defence Force meeting to discuss a Jervis Bay incident when a MRH-90 suffered an engine failure in March 2023, causing it to ditch into the sea. Capt Lyon felt the issues had not been properly rectified, nor had adequate measures been put in place to prevent a similar incident from occurring. He then offered his sadly prophetic assessment. His wife, along with the other victims' families, are now awaiting answers after the fatal crash inquiry concluded in Brisbane after nine hearings and dozens of witnesses over nearly two years. The Inspector-General of the Australian Defence Force Inquiry was formed in October 2023, tasked with examining the cause of the crash and whether the action or inaction of army personnel or others contributed. As the hearings unfolded, concerns emerged among army personnel about the helicopter, the severe fatigue and high workload for pilots, and over the night-vision technology they used. A former Taipan pilot recounted being told that the aircraft had a significant risk of engine failure. The air crew were also briefed on the risk that the MRH-90 would be inescapable if it plunged into water due to such a failure. Crew began flying without gloves to have a better chance of removing themselves if the craft crashed into water, the ex-pilot said. Multiple witnesses said the MRH-90 was not fit to be in service due to the engine-failure risks and high maintenance requirements. It would later be discontinued in favour of the US-made Black Hawks. Major General Stephen Jobson said the MRH-90 was an "immature and under-performing system" that had a high level of risk management since its acquisition in 2007. The Army Aviation Command's former commanding officer said he was never comfortable with the safety risk of the Taipan, but strong efforts were made to eliminate or at least minimise it. Issues with the pilots' TopOwl night-vision helmets were also raised, with an internal army assessment finding a fault left an "unacceptable risk". The assessment, made four years before the crash, found there was an "unacceptable ambiguity" with the helmet technology. It meant there was the potential for a crash when a pilot looked away from the helicopter front windscreen or the axis at night or in difficult terrain conditions, the inquiry heard. There were claims army aviation was dissatisfied with the assessment's findings and wanted the software upgrade to be rolled out despite calls for further analysis. Issues with fatigue and workload in the months leading up to the crash were also raised, with a colleague of the late air crew claiming they were working 12 to 18 hours a day on weekdays and four to six hours on weekends. A MRH-90 pilot said the culture was becoming "toxic", with defence headquarters not recognising the impact of fatigue or the need for time off. In the days before the crash, which happened at the military training event Talisman Sabre, the female pilot said air crew were offered sleeping tablets after the ground trial to help them switch from day to night shifts. She left the training exercise due to fatigue and her struggle with career pressures and a lack of progression. The inquiry heard the final text messages she exchanged with her colleague and friend Capt Lyon. "There is a weird vibe now you've gone," Capt Lyon texted before his final flight. "I hope you have fun tonight," the pilot replied. She was informed the following day there had been a fatal crash, frantically texting Capt Lyon: "F*** f*** f*** please msg me when you guys have phones." She never received a response. She was one of many colleagues and family members of the deceased who broke down while giving evidence. Capt Lyon's wife Caitland tearily recalled the day she broke the news of his death to their son. "I'm still haunted by the sound of our five-year-old's screams the day that I told him daddy wasn't coming home," she told the final hearing. Their daughter was just 16 months old when her father died but now cries for her daddy to come back from heaven, Ms Lyon added. "My heart shatters knowing she has lived more days crying for daddy than she ever had laughing with him," she said. Lt Nugent's partner, Chadine Whyte, spoke of how much he wanted to become a father and her feeling of devastation that he would never be able to realise that dream, urging the defence force to do better. "While I understand that in operational environments, risk is inevitable, we must never lose sight of the fact that behind every uniform is a person, and behind every person is a family, a life and a future," she said. "Max's life mattered and so does the loss of it." The final hearing finished on Friday with Ms McMurdo's findings to be handed down at an undetermined date. Not satisfied with the response to one crash, Captain Danniel Lyon offered a sobering assessment of the Australian army's MRH-90 Taipan helicopter. "Somebody is going to die from this," he said. Months later, Capt Lyon was killed along with three of his colleagues after their Taipan plunged into the sea off Queensland's Lindeman Island. His warning was recalled by his wife Caitland at an inquiry into the July 28, 2023 crash that also claimed the lives of Lieutenant Maxwell Nugent, Warrant Officer Class Two Joseph "Phillip" Laycock and Corporal Alexander Naggs. The inquiry before former judge Margaret McMurdo heard Capt Lyon attended an Australian Defence Force meeting to discuss a Jervis Bay incident when a MRH-90 suffered an engine failure in March 2023, causing it to ditch into the sea. Capt Lyon felt the issues had not been properly rectified, nor had adequate measures been put in place to prevent a similar incident from occurring. He then offered his sadly prophetic assessment. His wife, along with the other victims' families, are now awaiting answers after the fatal crash inquiry concluded in Brisbane after nine hearings and dozens of witnesses over nearly two years. The Inspector-General of the Australian Defence Force Inquiry was formed in October 2023, tasked with examining the cause of the crash and whether the action or inaction of army personnel or others contributed. As the hearings unfolded, concerns emerged among army personnel about the helicopter, the severe fatigue and high workload for pilots, and over the night-vision technology they used. A former Taipan pilot recounted being told that the aircraft had a significant risk of engine failure. The air crew were also briefed on the risk that the MRH-90 would be inescapable if it plunged into water due to such a failure. Crew began flying without gloves to have a better chance of removing themselves if the craft crashed into water, the ex-pilot said. Multiple witnesses said the MRH-90 was not fit to be in service due to the engine-failure risks and high maintenance requirements. It would later be discontinued in favour of the US-made Black Hawks. Major General Stephen Jobson said the MRH-90 was an "immature and under-performing system" that had a high level of risk management since its acquisition in 2007. The Army Aviation Command's former commanding officer said he was never comfortable with the safety risk of the Taipan, but strong efforts were made to eliminate or at least minimise it. Issues with the pilots' TopOwl night-vision helmets were also raised, with an internal army assessment finding a fault left an "unacceptable risk". The assessment, made four years before the crash, found there was an "unacceptable ambiguity" with the helmet technology. It meant there was the potential for a crash when a pilot looked away from the helicopter front windscreen or the axis at night or in difficult terrain conditions, the inquiry heard. There were claims army aviation was dissatisfied with the assessment's findings and wanted the software upgrade to be rolled out despite calls for further analysis. Issues with fatigue and workload in the months leading up to the crash were also raised, with a colleague of the late air crew claiming they were working 12 to 18 hours a day on weekdays and four to six hours on weekends. A MRH-90 pilot said the culture was becoming "toxic", with defence headquarters not recognising the impact of fatigue or the need for time off. In the days before the crash, which happened at the military training event Talisman Sabre, the female pilot said air crew were offered sleeping tablets after the ground trial to help them switch from day to night shifts. She left the training exercise due to fatigue and her struggle with career pressures and a lack of progression. The inquiry heard the final text messages she exchanged with her colleague and friend Capt Lyon. "There is a weird vibe now you've gone," Capt Lyon texted before his final flight. "I hope you have fun tonight," the pilot replied. She was informed the following day there had been a fatal crash, frantically texting Capt Lyon: "F*** f*** f*** please msg me when you guys have phones." She never received a response. She was one of many colleagues and family members of the deceased who broke down while giving evidence. Capt Lyon's wife Caitland tearily recalled the day she broke the news of his death to their son. "I'm still haunted by the sound of our five-year-old's screams the day that I told him daddy wasn't coming home," she told the final hearing. Their daughter was just 16 months old when her father died but now cries for her daddy to come back from heaven, Ms Lyon added. "My heart shatters knowing she has lived more days crying for daddy than she ever had laughing with him," she said. Lt Nugent's partner, Chadine Whyte, spoke of how much he wanted to become a father and her feeling of devastation that he would never be able to realise that dream, urging the defence force to do better. "While I understand that in operational environments, risk is inevitable, we must never lose sight of the fact that behind every uniform is a person, and behind every person is a family, a life and a future," she said. "Max's life mattered and so does the loss of it." The final hearing finished on Friday with Ms McMurdo's findings to be handed down at an undetermined date. Not satisfied with the response to one crash, Captain Danniel Lyon offered a sobering assessment of the Australian army's MRH-90 Taipan helicopter. "Somebody is going to die from this," he said. Months later, Capt Lyon was killed along with three of his colleagues after their Taipan plunged into the sea off Queensland's Lindeman Island. His warning was recalled by his wife Caitland at an inquiry into the July 28, 2023 crash that also claimed the lives of Lieutenant Maxwell Nugent, Warrant Officer Class Two Joseph "Phillip" Laycock and Corporal Alexander Naggs. The inquiry before former judge Margaret McMurdo heard Capt Lyon attended an Australian Defence Force meeting to discuss a Jervis Bay incident when a MRH-90 suffered an engine failure in March 2023, causing it to ditch into the sea. Capt Lyon felt the issues had not been properly rectified, nor had adequate measures been put in place to prevent a similar incident from occurring. He then offered his sadly prophetic assessment. His wife, along with the other victims' families, are now awaiting answers after the fatal crash inquiry concluded in Brisbane after nine hearings and dozens of witnesses over nearly two years. The Inspector-General of the Australian Defence Force Inquiry was formed in October 2023, tasked with examining the cause of the crash and whether the action or inaction of army personnel or others contributed. As the hearings unfolded, concerns emerged among army personnel about the helicopter, the severe fatigue and high workload for pilots, and over the night-vision technology they used. A former Taipan pilot recounted being told that the aircraft had a significant risk of engine failure. The air crew were also briefed on the risk that the MRH-90 would be inescapable if it plunged into water due to such a failure. Crew began flying without gloves to have a better chance of removing themselves if the craft crashed into water, the ex-pilot said. Multiple witnesses said the MRH-90 was not fit to be in service due to the engine-failure risks and high maintenance requirements. It would later be discontinued in favour of the US-made Black Hawks. Major General Stephen Jobson said the MRH-90 was an "immature and under-performing system" that had a high level of risk management since its acquisition in 2007. The Army Aviation Command's former commanding officer said he was never comfortable with the safety risk of the Taipan, but strong efforts were made to eliminate or at least minimise it. Issues with the pilots' TopOwl night-vision helmets were also raised, with an internal army assessment finding a fault left an "unacceptable risk". The assessment, made four years before the crash, found there was an "unacceptable ambiguity" with the helmet technology. It meant there was the potential for a crash when a pilot looked away from the helicopter front windscreen or the axis at night or in difficult terrain conditions, the inquiry heard. There were claims army aviation was dissatisfied with the assessment's findings and wanted the software upgrade to be rolled out despite calls for further analysis. Issues with fatigue and workload in the months leading up to the crash were also raised, with a colleague of the late air crew claiming they were working 12 to 18 hours a day on weekdays and four to six hours on weekends. A MRH-90 pilot said the culture was becoming "toxic", with defence headquarters not recognising the impact of fatigue or the need for time off. In the days before the crash, which happened at the military training event Talisman Sabre, the female pilot said air crew were offered sleeping tablets after the ground trial to help them switch from day to night shifts. She left the training exercise due to fatigue and her struggle with career pressures and a lack of progression. The inquiry heard the final text messages she exchanged with her colleague and friend Capt Lyon. "There is a weird vibe now you've gone," Capt Lyon texted before his final flight. "I hope you have fun tonight," the pilot replied. She was informed the following day there had been a fatal crash, frantically texting Capt Lyon: "F*** f*** f*** please msg me when you guys have phones." She never received a response. She was one of many colleagues and family members of the deceased who broke down while giving evidence. Capt Lyon's wife Caitland tearily recalled the day she broke the news of his death to their son. "I'm still haunted by the sound of our five-year-old's screams the day that I told him daddy wasn't coming home," she told the final hearing. Their daughter was just 16 months old when her father died but now cries for her daddy to come back from heaven, Ms Lyon added. "My heart shatters knowing she has lived more days crying for daddy than she ever had laughing with him," she said. Lt Nugent's partner, Chadine Whyte, spoke of how much he wanted to become a father and her feeling of devastation that he would never be able to realise that dream, urging the defence force to do better. "While I understand that in operational environments, risk is inevitable, we must never lose sight of the fact that behind every uniform is a person, and behind every person is a family, a life and a future," she said. "Max's life mattered and so does the loss of it." The final hearing finished on Friday with Ms McMurdo's findings to be handed down at an undetermined date. Not satisfied with the response to one crash, Captain Danniel Lyon offered a sobering assessment of the Australian army's MRH-90 Taipan helicopter. "Somebody is going to die from this," he said. Months later, Capt Lyon was killed along with three of his colleagues after their Taipan plunged into the sea off Queensland's Lindeman Island. His warning was recalled by his wife Caitland at an inquiry into the July 28, 2023 crash that also claimed the lives of Lieutenant Maxwell Nugent, Warrant Officer Class Two Joseph "Phillip" Laycock and Corporal Alexander Naggs. The inquiry before former judge Margaret McMurdo heard Capt Lyon attended an Australian Defence Force meeting to discuss a Jervis Bay incident when a MRH-90 suffered an engine failure in March 2023, causing it to ditch into the sea. Capt Lyon felt the issues had not been properly rectified, nor had adequate measures been put in place to prevent a similar incident from occurring. He then offered his sadly prophetic assessment. His wife, along with the other victims' families, are now awaiting answers after the fatal crash inquiry concluded in Brisbane after nine hearings and dozens of witnesses over nearly two years. The Inspector-General of the Australian Defence Force Inquiry was formed in October 2023, tasked with examining the cause of the crash and whether the action or inaction of army personnel or others contributed. As the hearings unfolded, concerns emerged among army personnel about the helicopter, the severe fatigue and high workload for pilots, and over the night-vision technology they used. A former Taipan pilot recounted being told that the aircraft had a significant risk of engine failure. The air crew were also briefed on the risk that the MRH-90 would be inescapable if it plunged into water due to such a failure. Crew began flying without gloves to have a better chance of removing themselves if the craft crashed into water, the ex-pilot said. Multiple witnesses said the MRH-90 was not fit to be in service due to the engine-failure risks and high maintenance requirements. It would later be discontinued in favour of the US-made Black Hawks. Major General Stephen Jobson said the MRH-90 was an "immature and under-performing system" that had a high level of risk management since its acquisition in 2007. The Army Aviation Command's former commanding officer said he was never comfortable with the safety risk of the Taipan, but strong efforts were made to eliminate or at least minimise it. Issues with the pilots' TopOwl night-vision helmets were also raised, with an internal army assessment finding a fault left an "unacceptable risk". The assessment, made four years before the crash, found there was an "unacceptable ambiguity" with the helmet technology. It meant there was the potential for a crash when a pilot looked away from the helicopter front windscreen or the axis at night or in difficult terrain conditions, the inquiry heard. There were claims army aviation was dissatisfied with the assessment's findings and wanted the software upgrade to be rolled out despite calls for further analysis. Issues with fatigue and workload in the months leading up to the crash were also raised, with a colleague of the late air crew claiming they were working 12 to 18 hours a day on weekdays and four to six hours on weekends. A MRH-90 pilot said the culture was becoming "toxic", with defence headquarters not recognising the impact of fatigue or the need for time off. In the days before the crash, which happened at the military training event Talisman Sabre, the female pilot said air crew were offered sleeping tablets after the ground trial to help them switch from day to night shifts. She left the training exercise due to fatigue and her struggle with career pressures and a lack of progression. The inquiry heard the final text messages she exchanged with her colleague and friend Capt Lyon. "There is a weird vibe now you've gone," Capt Lyon texted before his final flight. "I hope you have fun tonight," the pilot replied. She was informed the following day there had been a fatal crash, frantically texting Capt Lyon: "F*** f*** f*** please msg me when you guys have phones." She never received a response. She was one of many colleagues and family members of the deceased who broke down while giving evidence. Capt Lyon's wife Caitland tearily recalled the day she broke the news of his death to their son. "I'm still haunted by the sound of our five-year-old's screams the day that I told him daddy wasn't coming home," she told the final hearing. Their daughter was just 16 months old when her father died but now cries for her daddy to come back from heaven, Ms Lyon added. "My heart shatters knowing she has lived more days crying for daddy than she ever had laughing with him," she said. Lt Nugent's partner, Chadine Whyte, spoke of how much he wanted to become a father and her feeling of devastation that he would never be able to realise that dream, urging the defence force to do better. "While I understand that in operational environments, risk is inevitable, we must never lose sight of the fact that behind every uniform is a person, and behind every person is a family, a life and a future," she said. "Max's life mattered and so does the loss of it." The final hearing finished on Friday with Ms McMurdo's findings to be handed down at an undetermined date.
Perth Now
10-05-2025
- Perth Now
'Someone's gonna die': fatal chopper crash probe ends
Not satisfied with the response to one crash, Captain Danniel Lyon offered a sobering assessment of the Australian army's MRH-90 Taipan helicopter. "Somebody is going to die from this," he said. Months later, Capt Lyon was killed along with three of his colleagues after their Taipan plunged into the sea off Queensland's Lindeman Island. His warning was recalled by his wife Caitland at an inquiry into the July 28, 2023 crash that also claimed the lives of Lieutenant Maxwell Nugent, Warrant Officer Class Two Joseph "Phillip" Laycock and Corporal Alexander Naggs. The inquiry before former judge Margaret McMurdo heard Capt Lyon attended an Australian Defence Force meeting to discuss a Jervis Bay incident when a MRH-90 suffered an engine failure in March 2023, causing it to ditch into the sea. Capt Lyon felt the issues had not been properly rectified, nor had adequate measures been put in place to prevent a similar incident from occurring. He then offered his sadly prophetic assessment. His wife, along with the other victims' families, are now awaiting answers after the fatal crash inquiry concluded in Brisbane after nine hearings and dozens of witnesses over nearly two years. The Inspector-General of the Australian Defence Force Inquiry was formed in October 2023, tasked with examining the cause of the crash and whether the action or inaction of army personnel or others contributed. As the hearings unfolded, concerns emerged among army personnel about the helicopter, the severe fatigue and high workload for pilots, and over the night-vision technology they used. A former Taipan pilot recounted being told that the aircraft had a significant risk of engine failure. The air crew were also briefed on the risk that the MRH-90 would be inescapable if it plunged into water due to such a failure. Crew began flying without gloves to have a better chance of removing themselves if the craft crashed into water, the ex-pilot said. Multiple witnesses said the MRH-90 was not fit to be in service due to the engine-failure risks and high maintenance requirements. It would later be discontinued in favour of the US-made Black Hawks. Major General Stephen Jobson said the MRH-90 was an "immature and under-performing system" that had a high level of risk management since its acquisition in 2007. The Army Aviation Command's former commanding officer said he was never comfortable with the safety risk of the Taipan, but strong efforts were made to eliminate or at least minimise it. Issues with the pilots' TopOwl night-vision helmets were also raised, with an internal army assessment finding a fault left an "unacceptable risk". The assessment, made four years before the crash, found there was an "unacceptable ambiguity" with the helmet technology. It meant there was the potential for a crash when a pilot looked away from the helicopter front windscreen or the axis at night or in difficult terrain conditions, the inquiry heard. There were claims army aviation was dissatisfied with the assessment's findings and wanted the software upgrade to be rolled out despite calls for further analysis. Issues with fatigue and workload in the months leading up to the crash were also raised, with a colleague of the late air crew claiming they were working 12 to 18 hours a day on weekdays and four to six hours on weekends. A MRH-90 pilot said the culture was becoming "toxic", with defence headquarters not recognising the impact of fatigue or the need for time off. In the days before the crash, which happened at the military training event Talisman Sabre, the female pilot said air crew were offered sleeping tablets after the ground trial to help them switch from day to night shifts. She left the training exercise due to fatigue and her struggle with career pressures and a lack of progression. The inquiry heard the final text messages she exchanged with her colleague and friend Capt Lyon. "There is a weird vibe now you've gone," Capt Lyon texted before his final flight. "I hope you have fun tonight," the pilot replied. She was informed the following day there had been a fatal crash, frantically texting Capt Lyon: "F*** f*** f*** please msg me when you guys have phones." She never received a response. She was one of many colleagues and family members of the deceased who broke down while giving evidence. Capt Lyon's wife Caitland tearily recalled the day she broke the news of his death to their son. "I'm still haunted by the sound of our five-year-old's screams the day that I told him daddy wasn't coming home," she told the final hearing. Their daughter was just 16 months old when her father died but now cries for her daddy to come back from heaven, Ms Lyon added. "My heart shatters knowing she has lived more days crying for daddy than she ever had laughing with him," she said. Lt Nugent's partner, Chadine Whyte, spoke of how much he wanted to become a father and her feeling of devastation that he would never be able to realise that dream, urging the defence force to do better. "While I understand that in operational environments, risk is inevitable, we must never lose sight of the fact that behind every uniform is a person, and behind every person is a family, a life and a future," she said. "Max's life mattered and so does the loss of it." The final hearing finished on Friday with Ms McMurdo's findings to be handed down at an undetermined date.
West Australian
10-05-2025
- West Australian
'Someone's gonna die': fatal chopper crash probe ends
Not satisfied with the response to one crash, Captain Danniel Lyon offered a sobering assessment of the Australian army's MRH-90 Taipan helicopter. "Somebody is going to die from this," he said. Months later, Capt Lyon was killed along with three of his colleagues after their Taipan plunged into the sea off Queensland's Lindeman Island. His warning was recalled by his wife Caitland at an inquiry into the July 28, 2023 crash that also claimed the lives of Lieutenant Maxwell Nugent, Warrant Officer Class Two Joseph "Phillip" Laycock and Corporal Alexander Naggs. The inquiry before former judge Margaret McMurdo heard Capt Lyon attended an Australian Defence Force meeting to discuss a Jervis Bay incident when a MRH-90 suffered an engine failure in March 2023, causing it to ditch into the sea. Capt Lyon felt the issues had not been properly rectified, nor had adequate measures been put in place to prevent a similar incident from occurring. He then offered his sadly prophetic assessment. His wife, along with the other victims' families, are now awaiting answers after the fatal crash inquiry concluded in Brisbane after nine hearings and dozens of witnesses over nearly two years. The Inspector-General of the Australian Defence Force Inquiry was formed in October 2023, tasked with examining the cause of the crash and whether the action or inaction of army personnel or others contributed. As the hearings unfolded, concerns emerged among army personnel about the helicopter, the severe fatigue and high workload for pilots, and over the night-vision technology they used. A former Taipan pilot recounted being told that the aircraft had a significant risk of engine failure. The air crew were also briefed on the risk that the MRH-90 would be inescapable if it plunged into water due to such a failure. Crew began flying without gloves to have a better chance of removing themselves if the craft crashed into water, the ex-pilot said. Multiple witnesses said the MRH-90 was not fit to be in service due to the engine-failure risks and high maintenance requirements. It would later be discontinued in favour of the US-made Black Hawks. Major General Stephen Jobson said the MRH-90 was an "immature and under-performing system" that had a high level of risk management since its acquisition in 2007. The Army Aviation Command's former commanding officer said he was never comfortable with the safety risk of the Taipan, but strong efforts were made to eliminate or at least minimise it. Issues with the pilots' TopOwl night-vision helmets were also raised, with an internal army assessment finding a fault left an "unacceptable risk". The assessment, made four years before the crash, found there was an "unacceptable ambiguity" with the helmet technology. It meant there was the potential for a crash when a pilot looked away from the helicopter front windscreen or the axis at night or in difficult terrain conditions, the inquiry heard. There were claims army aviation was dissatisfied with the assessment's findings and wanted the software upgrade to be rolled out despite calls for further analysis. Issues with fatigue and workload in the months leading up to the crash were also raised, with a colleague of the late air crew claiming they were working 12 to 18 hours a day on weekdays and four to six hours on weekends. A MRH-90 pilot said the culture was becoming "toxic", with defence headquarters not recognising the impact of fatigue or the need for time off. In the days before the crash, which happened at the military training event Talisman Sabre, the female pilot said air crew were offered sleeping tablets after the ground trial to help them switch from day to night shifts. She left the training exercise due to fatigue and her struggle with career pressures and a lack of progression. The inquiry heard the final text messages she exchanged with her colleague and friend Capt Lyon. "There is a weird vibe now you've gone," Capt Lyon texted before his final flight. "I hope you have fun tonight," the pilot replied. She was informed the following day there had been a fatal crash, frantically texting Capt Lyon: "F*** f*** f*** please msg me when you guys have phones." She never received a response. She was one of many colleagues and family members of the deceased who broke down while giving evidence. Capt Lyon's wife Caitland tearily recalled the day she broke the news of his death to their son. "I'm still haunted by the sound of our five-year-old's screams the day that I told him daddy wasn't coming home," she told the final hearing. Their daughter was just 16 months old when her father died but now cries for her daddy to come back from heaven, Ms Lyon added. "My heart shatters knowing she has lived more days crying for daddy than she ever had laughing with him," she said. Lt Nugent's partner, Chadine Whyte, spoke of how much he wanted to become a father and her feeling of devastation that he would never be able to realise that dream, urging the defence force to do better. "While I understand that in operational environments, risk is inevitable, we must never lose sight of the fact that behind every uniform is a person, and behind every person is a family, a life and a future," she said. "Max's life mattered and so does the loss of it." The final hearing finished on Friday with Ms McMurdo's findings to be handed down at an undetermined date.
The Advertiser
09-05-2025
- The Advertiser
'Unimaginable grief' as army chopper crash inquiry ends
The heartbreaking impact of a fatal army helicopter crash has been revealed as a mammoth inquiry into the tragedy finally finished. Family members of four air crew killed in the 2023 incident broke down before consoling each other in Brisbane on Friday after describing their "unimaginable grief". One family spoke of losing faith in the Australian Defence Force over the incident while tears flowed as a victim's wife described her husband's death as "preventable". The emotional scenes capped the inquiry, launched after Captain Danniel Lyon, Lieutenant Maxwell Nugent, Warrant Officer Class 2 Joseph "Phillip" Laycock and Corporal Alexander Naggs died when their MRH-90 Taipan crashed off Queensland's coast in July 2023. The curtain was drawn on the probe before former judge Margaret McMurdo on Friday after nine hearings and dozens of witnesses spanning more than a year. The Inspector-General of the Australian Defence Force Inquiry was formed in October 2023, tasked with examining the cause of the crash and whether the action or inaction of army personnel or others contributed. Over the hearings concerns were raised by army personnel about the helicopter, severe fatigue and high workload for pilots and night-vision technology. Statements from the air crew's families were heard on Friday, with Capt Lyon's wife Caitland breaking down over the "unbearable" evidence and describing her husband's death as "preventable". But she said her husband would have wanted the truth behind the helicopter crash to be known. "He would have fought for it, not just for himself, but for anyone in his position," she sobbed. She recalled her husband warning "someone would die" after being unhappy with the response to an incident in March 2023 when an MRH-90 Taipan suffered an engine failure, causing it to ditch into the sea. Months later Capt Lyon was killed with the three other colleagues when their Taipan crashed during the Exercise Talisman Sabre training exercise. Ms Lyon said her husband trusted the defence force to keep him safe and equipment had been properly tested and selected. "He gave everything. Even his life," she said. Capt Lyon's mother Sue said she had lost faith in the defence force. "Daniel's life cannot be returned to us, but we owe it to his memory and to others who served on July 28, 2023, (that this) never happens again," she said. Lt Nugent's family said he was exactly where he wanted to be before it ended in tragedy. "He was 24 with the world ahead of him ... he was doing what he loved," a family statement read. "We will never get to see where life would have taken him or share in his joys." Corp Naggs' partner Sarah Loft's voice cracked as she addressed the inquiry. "It's been 652 days and I'm still unable to watch Friends or Modern Family, to move Alex's toothbrush from where he left it, or to accept that he's not coming home," she said. "Dan, Max, Phil and Alex deserved better." Parents Wayne and Dianne Laycock said they could still remember the day two people in khaki uniforms and shiny boots knocked on their door. "We knew we had lost Phillip on that day," their statement read. "Hardly a day goes by when we don't wake up in the morning (or) we go to bed at night without memories of Phillip and tears in our eyes." The air crew's families urged the defence force to implement the inquiry's recommendations to prevent another tragedy occurring. Ms McMurdo will hand down her findings at an undetermined date. Lifeline 13 11 14 Open Arms 1800 011 046 The heartbreaking impact of a fatal army helicopter crash has been revealed as a mammoth inquiry into the tragedy finally finished. Family members of four air crew killed in the 2023 incident broke down before consoling each other in Brisbane on Friday after describing their "unimaginable grief". One family spoke of losing faith in the Australian Defence Force over the incident while tears flowed as a victim's wife described her husband's death as "preventable". The emotional scenes capped the inquiry, launched after Captain Danniel Lyon, Lieutenant Maxwell Nugent, Warrant Officer Class 2 Joseph "Phillip" Laycock and Corporal Alexander Naggs died when their MRH-90 Taipan crashed off Queensland's coast in July 2023. The curtain was drawn on the probe before former judge Margaret McMurdo on Friday after nine hearings and dozens of witnesses spanning more than a year. The Inspector-General of the Australian Defence Force Inquiry was formed in October 2023, tasked with examining the cause of the crash and whether the action or inaction of army personnel or others contributed. Over the hearings concerns were raised by army personnel about the helicopter, severe fatigue and high workload for pilots and night-vision technology. Statements from the air crew's families were heard on Friday, with Capt Lyon's wife Caitland breaking down over the "unbearable" evidence and describing her husband's death as "preventable". But she said her husband would have wanted the truth behind the helicopter crash to be known. "He would have fought for it, not just for himself, but for anyone in his position," she sobbed. She recalled her husband warning "someone would die" after being unhappy with the response to an incident in March 2023 when an MRH-90 Taipan suffered an engine failure, causing it to ditch into the sea. Months later Capt Lyon was killed with the three other colleagues when their Taipan crashed during the Exercise Talisman Sabre training exercise. Ms Lyon said her husband trusted the defence force to keep him safe and equipment had been properly tested and selected. "He gave everything. Even his life," she said. Capt Lyon's mother Sue said she had lost faith in the defence force. "Daniel's life cannot be returned to us, but we owe it to his memory and to others who served on July 28, 2023, (that this) never happens again," she said. Lt Nugent's family said he was exactly where he wanted to be before it ended in tragedy. "He was 24 with the world ahead of him ... he was doing what he loved," a family statement read. "We will never get to see where life would have taken him or share in his joys." Corp Naggs' partner Sarah Loft's voice cracked as she addressed the inquiry. "It's been 652 days and I'm still unable to watch Friends or Modern Family, to move Alex's toothbrush from where he left it, or to accept that he's not coming home," she said. "Dan, Max, Phil and Alex deserved better." Parents Wayne and Dianne Laycock said they could still remember the day two people in khaki uniforms and shiny boots knocked on their door. "We knew we had lost Phillip on that day," their statement read. "Hardly a day goes by when we don't wake up in the morning (or) we go to bed at night without memories of Phillip and tears in our eyes." The air crew's families urged the defence force to implement the inquiry's recommendations to prevent another tragedy occurring. Ms McMurdo will hand down her findings at an undetermined date. Lifeline 13 11 14 Open Arms 1800 011 046 The heartbreaking impact of a fatal army helicopter crash has been revealed as a mammoth inquiry into the tragedy finally finished. Family members of four air crew killed in the 2023 incident broke down before consoling each other in Brisbane on Friday after describing their "unimaginable grief". One family spoke of losing faith in the Australian Defence Force over the incident while tears flowed as a victim's wife described her husband's death as "preventable". The emotional scenes capped the inquiry, launched after Captain Danniel Lyon, Lieutenant Maxwell Nugent, Warrant Officer Class 2 Joseph "Phillip" Laycock and Corporal Alexander Naggs died when their MRH-90 Taipan crashed off Queensland's coast in July 2023. The curtain was drawn on the probe before former judge Margaret McMurdo on Friday after nine hearings and dozens of witnesses spanning more than a year. The Inspector-General of the Australian Defence Force Inquiry was formed in October 2023, tasked with examining the cause of the crash and whether the action or inaction of army personnel or others contributed. Over the hearings concerns were raised by army personnel about the helicopter, severe fatigue and high workload for pilots and night-vision technology. Statements from the air crew's families were heard on Friday, with Capt Lyon's wife Caitland breaking down over the "unbearable" evidence and describing her husband's death as "preventable". But she said her husband would have wanted the truth behind the helicopter crash to be known. "He would have fought for it, not just for himself, but for anyone in his position," she sobbed. She recalled her husband warning "someone would die" after being unhappy with the response to an incident in March 2023 when an MRH-90 Taipan suffered an engine failure, causing it to ditch into the sea. Months later Capt Lyon was killed with the three other colleagues when their Taipan crashed during the Exercise Talisman Sabre training exercise. Ms Lyon said her husband trusted the defence force to keep him safe and equipment had been properly tested and selected. "He gave everything. Even his life," she said. Capt Lyon's mother Sue said she had lost faith in the defence force. "Daniel's life cannot be returned to us, but we owe it to his memory and to others who served on July 28, 2023, (that this) never happens again," she said. Lt Nugent's family said he was exactly where he wanted to be before it ended in tragedy. "He was 24 with the world ahead of him ... he was doing what he loved," a family statement read. "We will never get to see where life would have taken him or share in his joys." Corp Naggs' partner Sarah Loft's voice cracked as she addressed the inquiry. "It's been 652 days and I'm still unable to watch Friends or Modern Family, to move Alex's toothbrush from where he left it, or to accept that he's not coming home," she said. "Dan, Max, Phil and Alex deserved better." Parents Wayne and Dianne Laycock said they could still remember the day two people in khaki uniforms and shiny boots knocked on their door. "We knew we had lost Phillip on that day," their statement read. "Hardly a day goes by when we don't wake up in the morning (or) we go to bed at night without memories of Phillip and tears in our eyes." The air crew's families urged the defence force to implement the inquiry's recommendations to prevent another tragedy occurring. Ms McMurdo will hand down her findings at an undetermined date. Lifeline 13 11 14 Open Arms 1800 011 046 The heartbreaking impact of a fatal army helicopter crash has been revealed as a mammoth inquiry into the tragedy finally finished. Family members of four air crew killed in the 2023 incident broke down before consoling each other in Brisbane on Friday after describing their "unimaginable grief". One family spoke of losing faith in the Australian Defence Force over the incident while tears flowed as a victim's wife described her husband's death as "preventable". The emotional scenes capped the inquiry, launched after Captain Danniel Lyon, Lieutenant Maxwell Nugent, Warrant Officer Class 2 Joseph "Phillip" Laycock and Corporal Alexander Naggs died when their MRH-90 Taipan crashed off Queensland's coast in July 2023. The curtain was drawn on the probe before former judge Margaret McMurdo on Friday after nine hearings and dozens of witnesses spanning more than a year. The Inspector-General of the Australian Defence Force Inquiry was formed in October 2023, tasked with examining the cause of the crash and whether the action or inaction of army personnel or others contributed. Over the hearings concerns were raised by army personnel about the helicopter, severe fatigue and high workload for pilots and night-vision technology. Statements from the air crew's families were heard on Friday, with Capt Lyon's wife Caitland breaking down over the "unbearable" evidence and describing her husband's death as "preventable". But she said her husband would have wanted the truth behind the helicopter crash to be known. "He would have fought for it, not just for himself, but for anyone in his position," she sobbed. She recalled her husband warning "someone would die" after being unhappy with the response to an incident in March 2023 when an MRH-90 Taipan suffered an engine failure, causing it to ditch into the sea. Months later Capt Lyon was killed with the three other colleagues when their Taipan crashed during the Exercise Talisman Sabre training exercise. Ms Lyon said her husband trusted the defence force to keep him safe and equipment had been properly tested and selected. "He gave everything. Even his life," she said. Capt Lyon's mother Sue said she had lost faith in the defence force. "Daniel's life cannot be returned to us, but we owe it to his memory and to others who served on July 28, 2023, (that this) never happens again," she said. Lt Nugent's family said he was exactly where he wanted to be before it ended in tragedy. "He was 24 with the world ahead of him ... he was doing what he loved," a family statement read. "We will never get to see where life would have taken him or share in his joys." Corp Naggs' partner Sarah Loft's voice cracked as she addressed the inquiry. "It's been 652 days and I'm still unable to watch Friends or Modern Family, to move Alex's toothbrush from where he left it, or to accept that he's not coming home," she said. "Dan, Max, Phil and Alex deserved better." Parents Wayne and Dianne Laycock said they could still remember the day two people in khaki uniforms and shiny boots knocked on their door. "We knew we had lost Phillip on that day," their statement read. "Hardly a day goes by when we don't wake up in the morning (or) we go to bed at night without memories of Phillip and tears in our eyes." The air crew's families urged the defence force to implement the inquiry's recommendations to prevent another tragedy occurring. Ms McMurdo will hand down her findings at an undetermined date. Lifeline 13 11 14 Open Arms 1800 011 046
Perth Now
09-05-2025
- Perth Now
'Unimaginable grief' as army chopper crash inquiry ends
The heartbreaking impact of a fatal army helicopter crash has been revealed as a mammoth inquiry into the tragedy finally finished. Family members of four air crew killed in the 2023 incident broke down before consoling each other in Brisbane on Friday after describing their "unimaginable grief". One family spoke of losing faith in the Australian Defence Force over the incident while tears flowed as a victim's wife described her husband's death as "preventable". The emotional scenes capped the inquiry, launched after Captain Danniel Lyon, Lieutenant Maxwell Nugent, Warrant Officer Class 2 Joseph "Phillip" Laycock and Corporal Alexander Naggs died when their MRH-90 Taipan crashed off Queensland's coast in July 2023. The curtain was drawn on the probe before former judge Margaret McMurdo on Friday after nine hearings and dozens of witnesses spanning more than a year. The Inspector-General of the Australian Defence Force Inquiry was formed in October 2023, tasked with examining the cause of the crash and whether the action or inaction of army personnel or others contributed. Over the hearings concerns were raised by army personnel about the helicopter, severe fatigue and high workload for pilots and night-vision technology. Statements from the air crew's families were heard on Friday, with Capt Lyon's wife Caitland breaking down over the "unbearable" evidence and describing her husband's death as "preventable". But she said her husband would have wanted the truth behind the helicopter crash to be known. "He would have fought for it, not just for himself, but for anyone in his position," she sobbed. She recalled her husband warning "someone would die" after being unhappy with the response to an incident in March 2023 when an MRH-90 Taipan suffered an engine failure, causing it to ditch into the sea. Months later Capt Lyon was killed with the three other colleagues when their Taipan crashed during the Exercise Talisman Sabre training exercise. Ms Lyon said her husband trusted the defence force to keep him safe and equipment had been properly tested and selected. "He gave everything. Even his life," she said. Capt Lyon's mother Sue said she had lost faith in the defence force. "Daniel's life cannot be returned to us, but we owe it to his memory and to others who served on July 28, 2023, (that this) never happens again," she said. Lt Nugent's family said he was exactly where he wanted to be before it ended in tragedy. "He was 24 with the world ahead of him ... he was doing what he loved," a family statement read. "We will never get to see where life would have taken him or share in his joys." Corp Naggs' partner Sarah Loft's voice cracked as she addressed the inquiry. "It's been 652 days and I'm still unable to watch Friends or Modern Family, to move Alex's toothbrush from where he left it, or to accept that he's not coming home," she said. "Dan, Max, Phil and Alex deserved better." Parents Wayne and Dianne Laycock said they could still remember the day two people in khaki uniforms and shiny boots knocked on their door. "We knew we had lost Phillip on that day," their statement read. "Hardly a day goes by when we don't wake up in the morning (or) we go to bed at night without memories of Phillip and tears in our eyes." The air crew's families urged the defence force to implement the inquiry's recommendations to prevent another tragedy occurring. Ms McMurdo will hand down her findings at an undetermined date. Lifeline 13 11 14 Open Arms 1800 011 046
