ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 115
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| Date: | Saturday 29 December 2007 |
| Time: | 19:05 |
| Type: |  Robinson R44 |
| Owner/operator: | Helicopter Flight Center |
| Registration: | VH-MEB |
| MSN: | 1674 |
| Year of manufacture: | 2007 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 2 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | near Westgate Bridge, Melbourne, VIC -
 Australia
|
| Phase: | Initial climb |
| Nature: | Ferry/positioning |
| Departure airport: | Pier 35, near Westgate Bridge, Melbourne, Victoria |
| Williamtown, Victoria | |
| Investigating agency: | ATSB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
Following completion of a scenic charter flight, at about 19:05 AEDT (Australian Eastern Daylight-saving Time) on 29 December 2007, a Robinson Helicopter Company R44 Raven 1, registered VH-MEB, departed the Pier 35 private helipad, located adjacent to the Yarra River, Melbourne, Victoria, on a private flight to return to the operator’s base, with two pilots on board.
Witnesses located at a nearby marina, reported that shortly after the helicopter’s takeoff in a north-north-westerly direction, it banked left and turned to the south-west, passing a marina while at a height of about 30 to 35 ft above mean sea level (AMSL). Witnesses reported that during the accident flight takeoff, the helicopter passed to the west of a channel marker in the river adjacent to the pad. During the departure from the pad on previous flights the helicopter had passed to the east of the channel marker.
The helicopter’s forward airspeed decreased and it ‘rocked or wobbled in the air’ then pitched nose up, rolled to the left, descended and impacted the water. The handling pilot exited the helicopter via the right side, where he was seated, and was recovered by the crew of a nearby boat. The other pilot, who was the chief pilot of the operator, did not exit the helicopter and was fatally injured.
The investigation found that the helicopter did not gain altitude, departed controlled flight, descended and struck the water. During this event, the main rotor revolutions per minute (RPM) were at a lower than normal value to sustain controlled flight. The investigation could not identify any problems with the helicopter, its systems or engine, which would have led to the low main rotor RPM as witnessed. The investigation determined that environmental factors in combination with pilot handling technique probably resulted in the low main rotor RPM event.
Following the accident, the helipad operator ceased all helicopter operations at Pier 35 and any on-going use of that pad by any person.
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
1. ATSB Report: https://www.atsb.gov.au/media/1358675/ao2007069.pdf
2. NTSB Identification: LAX08WA045 at https://www.ntsb.gov/_layouts/ntsb.aviation/brief2.aspx?ev_id=20080117X00071&ntsbno=LAX08WA045&akey=1
3. https://www.abc.net.au/news/2007-12-30/helicopter-wreckage-retrieved-from-yarra-river/999078
4. https://www.theage.com.au/national/helicopter-pilot-may-have-been-dazed-in-crash-20071231-ge6k6j.html
5. Coroners Inquest Report into the fatality: http://www.coronerscourt.vic.gov.au/resources/cbaefae0-7cbb-4d7a-8326-0a82ca41fce4/edwardgeldard_526407.pdf
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 21-Jan-2008 04:32 | JINX | Added |
| 01-Nov-2018 02:58 | Dr.John Smith | Updated [Time, Location, Nature, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Narrative] |
| 01-Nov-2018 02:59 | Dr.John Smith | Updated [Narrative] |
| 10-Jun-2022 04:19 | Ron Averes | Updated [Location] |
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