Chopper crew found
31Dec03
TWO men missing in a small helicopter in the Northern Territory outback have been found alive and well.
Pilot Garth Jones, 22, and mechanic Con Eglington, 26, had taken off from Katherine, 300km south of Darwin, at 1pm on Monday.
The pair work for North Australian Helicopters and were heading for the Mirrangadga Aboriginal settlement, 300km northeast of Katherine.
But after diverting around several storms, the aftermath of Cyclone Debbie, they had to put down when they ran short of fuel 40km from their destination.
They then walked 14km until their path was blocked by a river.
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Rescuer slams cost of search for chopper after SOS delay
By PAUL JACKSON
December 31, 2003
A Territory helicopter pilot was criticised last night for causing a major rescue search that cost taxpayers tens of thousands of dollars.
Garth Jones, 22, landed his helicopter in remote Arnhem Land after running out of fuel late on Monday afternoon.
Mr Jones did not activate his emergency beacon until the next morning.
"The search was really unnecessary," Australian Search and Rescue spokesman David Gray said.
"Had he set it off that night we would only have needed to have sent one aircraft to the site, instead of the six that spent three hours searching for him.
"It was a very expensive exercise that could have been avoided."
Mr Jones and mechanic Colin Eglington, 26, of North Australian Helicopters at Katherine, spent the night huddled around a fire after they put their helicopter down in rugged country near Ramingining, 400km east of Darwin.
They were found safe and well about 8am yesterday.
The men were forced to make an emergency landing in their Robinson 22 aircraft after running low on fuel.
They had left Katherine about 11am on Monday for an Aboriginal settlement but ran into bad weather and had to divert right and left of the storms, causing extra fuel to be used.
"The pilot knew he couldn't make the settlement, so he put the chopper down safely 25km south of Ramingining," company chief pilot John Logan said.
"He elected not to turn his emergency beacon on because it was dark. He set it off early yesterday."
Mr Logan said the pair were taking an alternator belt to another helicopter pilot whose aircraft had mechanical failure.
He said Mr Jones had been with the company a year and Mr Eglington two years.
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