Latest news with #MRH-90Taipan
West Australian
22-05-2025
- West Australian
Brave to the end: army helicopter crash victims hailed
Four crew killed in an army helicopter crash were "brave and selfless to the end", the defence minister says, confirming the government accepts all 46 recommendations of a safety report. The Aviation Safety Investigation Report into the MRH-90 Taipan helicopter crash off the Whitsunday Islands in Queensland on July 28, 2023 was released on Wednesday. Captain Danniel Lyon, Lieutenant Maxwell Nugent, Warrant Officer Class Two Joseph Laycock and Corporal Alexander Naggs were killed when their helicopter crashed into the sea during Exercise Talisman Sabre. Defence Minister Richard Marles thanked the Defence Flight Safety Bureau for their "tireless" work on the report and said every recommendation would be accepted by the government. The investigation, one of four into the crash, was an important step in understanding what occurred and learning from it, the minister told reporters in Brisbane on Thursday. "I would observe that the four crew who tragically lost their lives I'm absolutely certain were brave and selfless to the end," he said. "Our thoughts are very much with their families, and we continue to work with them." Mr Marles said the defence force was deeply focused on safety, but what defence did was inherently dangerous and it was important to "train for real". The Talisman Sabre exercise alongside US and other nations' forces was Australia's most significant annual exercise for such training, he said. The crash report found the primary cause of the tragedy was "spatial disorientation", which happens when a pilot misperceives the position of their aircraft in relation to the surrounding environment. It concluded the pilots were likely experiencing a level of fatigue shown to "impede optimal performance" and increase susceptibility to spatial disorientation. "The estimated level of fatigue ... was considered sufficient to affect their actions and decisions in the event," the report said. It said the pilot likely didn't know the chopper was facing nose down and combined with a lack of recognition of the aircraft's increasing airspeed "resulted in a very high and unrecoverable rate of descent towards the water". The helicopter was conducting manoeuvres during rain showers and flying with its cabin doors closed, factors that restricted visibility. Defence All-hours Support Line (ASL) - 1800 628 036 Defence Member and Family Support - 1800 624 608 Open Arms – Veterans & Families Counselling - 1800 011 046 Lifeline - 13 11 14
West Australian
22-05-2025
- General
- West Australian
Army chopper crashed after evasive action, report finds
DEFENCE AVIATION SAFETY REPORT KEY FINDINGS OF FATAL ARMY HELICOPTER CRASH OFF QUEENSLAND'S WHITSUNDAY ISLANDS * On the night of July 28, 2023 an MRH-90 Taipan of the 6th Aviation Regiment plunged into the sea while flying in formation with three other choppers on a mission during Exercise Talisman Sabre 23 * Captain Danniel Lyon, Lieutenant Maxwell Nugent, Warrant Officer Class Two Joseph Laycock and Corporal Alexander Naggs died in the crash * In response, the Director of the Defence Flight Safety Bureau formed an investigative team to determine the cause of the crash, identify factors that contributed to it and recommend safety improvements to prevent a recurrence * The investigation concluded the primary cause of the accident was an unrecognised loss of spatial orientation, commonly referred to as spatial disorientation, meaning the pilots misperceived the aircraft's position in the air * Due to low altitude and the high rate of descent of the aircraft the investigation concluded the pilots did not have time to regain an accurate picture of the helicopter's orientation and take recovery action before impact * Varying visibility in overcast and showery conditions, where the horizon was more than likely not discernible, contributed to the pilots' spatial disorientation while they were maintaining formation using night vision devices * Cabin doors were closed to minimise crew exposure to rain and low temperatures but this restricted visibility and the ability of crew to alert the pilot to where the aircraft was in relation to the sea * The investigation found the pilots were likely experiencing a level of fatigue shown to impede optimal performance and increase susceptibility to spatial disorientation * Policy relating to rostering practices was also found to be sub-optimal, contributing to an environment where fatigue-related risks were not mitigated effectively * The investigation found the aircraft's engine and flight control systems were operating normally and there were no structural failures of the helicopter prior to impact * It was also found that demands on key personnel responsible for aviation safety often exceeded workforce capacity, which likely degraded the effectiveness of Army Aviation's safety, quality and risk management systems * The report does not seek to apportion blame or determine liability and does not recommend disciplinary or administrative action against organisations or individuals * It identified 196 findings, resulting in 46 recommendations which have all been accepted by the Defence Aviation Authority Defence All-hours Support Line (ASL) - 1800 628 036 Defence Member and Family Support - 1800 624 608 Open Arms – Veterans & Families Counselling - 1800 011 046 Lifeline - 13 11 14
Perth Now
22-05-2025
- General
- Perth Now
Army chopper crashed after evasive action, report finds
DEFENCE AVIATION SAFETY REPORT KEY FINDINGS OF FATAL ARMY HELICOPTER CRASH OFF QUEENSLAND'S WHITSUNDAY ISLANDS * On the night of July 28, 2023 an MRH-90 Taipan of the 6th Aviation Regiment plunged into the sea while flying in formation with three other choppers on a mission during Exercise Talisman Sabre 23 * Captain Danniel Lyon, Lieutenant Maxwell Nugent, Warrant Officer Class Two Joseph Laycock and Corporal Alexander Naggs died in the crash * In response, the Director of the Defence Flight Safety Bureau formed an investigative team to determine the cause of the crash, identify factors that contributed to it and recommend safety improvements to prevent a recurrence * The investigation concluded the primary cause of the accident was an unrecognised loss of spatial orientation, commonly referred to as spatial disorientation, meaning the pilots misperceived the aircraft's position in the air * Due to low altitude and the high rate of descent of the aircraft the investigation concluded the pilots did not have time to regain an accurate picture of the helicopter's orientation and take recovery action before impact * Varying visibility in overcast and showery conditions, where the horizon was more than likely not discernible, contributed to the pilots' spatial disorientation while they were maintaining formation using night vision devices * Cabin doors were closed to minimise crew exposure to rain and low temperatures but this restricted visibility and the ability of crew to alert the pilot to where the aircraft was in relation to the sea * The investigation found the pilots were likely experiencing a level of fatigue shown to impede optimal performance and increase susceptibility to spatial disorientation * Policy relating to rostering practices was also found to be sub-optimal, contributing to an environment where fatigue-related risks were not mitigated effectively * The investigation found the aircraft's engine and flight control systems were operating normally and there were no structural failures of the helicopter prior to impact * It was also found that demands on key personnel responsible for aviation safety often exceeded workforce capacity, which likely degraded the effectiveness of Army Aviation's safety, quality and risk management systems * The report does not seek to apportion blame or determine liability and does not recommend disciplinary or administrative action against organisations or individuals * It identified 196 findings, resulting in 46 recommendations which have all been accepted by the Defence Aviation Authority Defence All-hours Support Line (ASL) - 1800 628 036 Defence Member and Family Support - 1800 624 608 Open Arms – Veterans & Families Counselling - 1800 011 046 Lifeline - 13 11 14
Perth Now
22-05-2025
- Perth Now
Brave to the end: army helicopter crash victims hailed
Four crew killed in an army helicopter crash were "brave and selfless to the end", the defence minister says, confirming the government accepts all 46 recommendations of a safety report. The Aviation Safety Investigation Report into the MRH-90 Taipan helicopter crash off the Whitsunday Islands in Queensland on July 28, 2023 was released on Wednesday. Captain Danniel Lyon, Lieutenant Maxwell Nugent, Warrant Officer Class Two Joseph Laycock and Corporal Alexander Naggs were killed when their helicopter crashed into the sea during Exercise Talisman Sabre. Defence Minister Richard Marles thanked the Defence Flight Safety Bureau for their "tireless" work on the report and said every recommendation would be accepted by the government. The investigation, one of four into the crash, was an important step in understanding what occurred and learning from it, the minister told reporters in Brisbane on Thursday. "I would observe that the four crew who tragically lost their lives I'm absolutely certain were brave and selfless to the end," he said. "Our thoughts are very much with their families, and we continue to work with them." Mr Marles said the defence force was deeply focused on safety, but what defence did was inherently dangerous and it was important to "train for real". The Talisman Sabre exercise alongside US and other nations' forces was Australia's most significant annual exercise for such training, he said. The crash report found the primary cause of the tragedy was "spatial disorientation", which happens when a pilot misperceives the position of their aircraft in relation to the surrounding environment. It concluded the pilots were likely experiencing a level of fatigue shown to "impede optimal performance" and increase susceptibility to spatial disorientation. "The estimated level of fatigue ... was considered sufficient to affect their actions and decisions in the event," the report said. It said the pilot likely didn't know the chopper was facing nose down and combined with a lack of recognition of the aircraft's increasing airspeed "resulted in a very high and unrecoverable rate of descent towards the water". The helicopter was conducting manoeuvres during rain showers and flying with its cabin doors closed, factors that restricted visibility. Defence All-hours Support Line (ASL) - 1800 628 036 Defence Member and Family Support - 1800 624 608 Open Arms – Veterans & Families Counselling - 1800 011 046 Lifeline - 13 11 14
Hans India
21-05-2025
- Hans India
2023 fatal Australian army helicopter crash caused by pilot disorientation: Investigation
Canberra: A 2023 Australian army helicopter crash that killed four soldiers was caused by the pilot becoming disoriented, an investigation has found. The Department of Defence on Wednesday publicly released the aviation safety investigation report into the MRH-90 Taipan helicopter crash in July 2023. All four soldiers on board, including pilot Danniel Lyon and co-pilot Maxwell Nugent, were killed when the helicopter crashed into the ocean off Australia's east coast during a late-night defence training exercise in July 2023. The 228-page report found that the primary cause of the accident was Lyon suffering from an unrecognised loss of spatial orientation. "This refers to a situation where a pilot is unaware of their actual orientation in relation to the earth's surface and the surrounding environment," the Department of Defence said in a statement. The helicopter with the callsign "Bushman 83" was third in a formation of four MRH-90s that were conducting various manoeuvres during the exercise. The report found that, after making a turn, Bushman 83 climbed 100 feet before rapidly descending and crashing into the ocean in a 21-second span. It said that Lyon "almost certainly" lost sight of the aircraft ahead, Bushman 82, and tried to regain visual but likely did not know the helicopter was facing nose down and accelerated quickly, resulting in an "unrecoverable" rate of descent towards the water. During the descent, the investigation found that Lyon likely regained sight of Bushman 82 and took evasive action to avoid a mid-air collision, potentially saving lives, Xinhua news agency reported. The report found that the conditions at the time increased the risk of a person experiencing spatial disorientation and that Lyon and Nugent were likely suffering from fatigue as a result of disruptive work patterns, burnout and poor sleeping conditions during the training exercise. It made 196 findings and 46 recommendations across the Defense Aviation Safety Program, all of which have been accepted. The Department of Defence said that the investigation was one of the most complex conducted in recent history.
