5 Rescued in Helicopter Crash, Northern W.A

[Rotor Work]

From ABC News

Good Outcome


A helicopter has crashed into water at Cone Bay in Western Australia's Kimberley.
Police say all five people on board have been rescued by staff from a nearby fish farm.
It is believed those on board were carrying out survey work.
Cone Bay is north of Derby.

Update, KAS 206

Helicopter 'flipped into water' after Cone Bay crash - The West Australian (http://au.news.yahoo.com/thewest/a/-/newshome/17526812/helicopter-flipped-into-water-after-cone-bay-crash/)

[John Eacott]

Man tells of chopper crash rescue (http://au.news.yahoo.com/thewest/a/-/breaking/17526812/helicopter-flipped-into-water-after-cone-bay-crash/)

Update, 4.15pm: A barramundi farm worker has detailed how he and his colleagues rescued five people from a helicopter wreckage off Cone Bay this morning.

It is understood the people onboard the helicopter were carrying out survey work when the pilot was forced to make an emergency water landing.

Workers from the nearby Marine Produce Australia barramundi farm saw the crash landing and managed to rescue all five people onboard.

MPA marine farming manager Jamie Bester said he knew something was wrong when he saw the helicopter overhead.

“We heard the chopper coming in, so you kind of raise your eyes to see where it is,” he said.

“We knew it was coming down quicker than normal, it just looked unusual.

“It got pretty obvious, pretty fast that something had gone wrong and it was an emergency landing.

“They were quite high when it started so they hit the water reasonably hard and the chopper flipped upside down, into the water.”

Mr Bester said it was lucky the helicopter crashed so close to the farm.

“We immediately responded. We headed out in the dive boat, which is our fastest boat, thinking they were all in the water,” he said.

“The guys were in their dive gear ready to dive, but when we got there they’d already got themselves out of the helicopter and were trying to climb up on it.

“We’ve got a dive boat that we run out here and we train our divers for emergencies. Everything went really well.

“There’s no one for miles, so they were pretty lucky that it happened here. If you were going to crash, you’d probably want to do it here.”

The pilot and four passengers onboard the helicopter were taken back to land then flown to Derby with minor injuries.

The helicopter has been secured for examination.

A spokesman for KAS helicopters, the company that owns the helicopter, said an unknown malfunction forced the pilot to make an emergency landing on approach to Turtle Island.

“The pilot subsequently deployed the emergency floats and made an emergency landing into the water just short of the island,” he said.

“The four passengers onboard, along with the pilot, all escaped with no injuries with the assistance from the staff at the Cone Bay Barramundi Farm, who were on the scene within minutes.

“The passengers and staff commended the pilot who performed a text book emergency landing.”

He said KAS Helicopters would continue to work closely with the Australian Transport Safety Bureau and Civil Aviation Safety Authority.

Cone Bay is located in the Buccaneer Archipelago, about 100km north of Derby.

http://l.yimg.com/ea/img/-/130608/p1000278_18r5p75-18r5p7f.jpg

[2leftskids]

Lucky. Cone Bay is a long long way from anywhere. Not to mention all the hungry critters in the water up there.

[Grenville Fortescue]

Not to mention all the hungry critters in the water up there.

Was informed that pilots flying offshore in South Africa and Australia carried shark repellent as standard equipment in their survival pack/jacket/raft!

[Peter3127]

The pilots do carry shark repellant - "passengers" :E

[2leftskids]

Shark repellent?? I was surprised they even had floats... And I was thinking more of the crocs.

[lelebebbel]

Pretty sure over-water charter is their main business, so it shouldn't be all that surprising that they have floats.

[topendtorque]

“The passengers and staff commended the pilot who performed a text book emergency landing.”

Pretty sure over-water charter is their main business, so it shouldn't be all that surprising that they have floats.

and practice text book emergency landings - I presume - Dr. Livingstone.

[500AGL]

Is that the "Shark repellent Bat spray" as seen in the relevant episode:E ?