Two missing in helicopter crash
December 29, 2003
A HELICOPTER with two young men onboard failed to turn up at its destination in a remote part of the Northern Territory today and a search has been organised to find it.
Australian Search and Rescue spokesman David Gray said the 22-year-old pilot and his 26-year-old companion took off from Katherine, 300km south of Darwin, at 1pm (AEDT), .
They were due at the Mirrangadga aboriginal settlement, around 300km northeast of Katherine, at 4.30pm, he said, but they never arrived.
Mr Gray said fuel in the helicopter would not last any longer than an hour beyond the planned route.
He said the Robinson 22 helicopter was fitted with a radio beacon, but no signal had been picked up.
A police plane would comb the path believed to be followed by the helicopter overnight, on the lookout for any distress signals or lights.
But a full-scale search involving more aircraft would begin at first light tomorrow, Mr Gray said.
The Australian