With all respect to those who died and were injured in this accident, I am not sure that I understand the point of this inquiry and the dance around the cause. The investigation has been thorough and complete, now it is time to examine and deal with the root cause. If you have a bolt disconnect (or a control rod failure!) in the mixing unit in an Sea King/S61 you will lose control of the machine. The cause of this accident has nothing to do with the capability of the crew, the way it was operated, or the age of the helicopter.
It has everything to do with fundamental, elementary, maintenance safety practices and inspection systems . This is not the first accident of this nature, nor will it be the last. This type of accident occurs every year in all kinds of equipment, yet should never occur in the first place.
Fatal Australian helicopter crash caused by disconnected bolt, inquiry told
SYDNEY (AP): A bolt that disconnected from an Australian navy helicopter caused a crash which killed nine military personnel while on a mercy mission in Indonesia, an investigator said on Wednesday.
Another two Australians were also injured when the Sea King helicopter crashed on April 2 on the island of Nias where they were retrieving Indonesians injured by a magnitude-8.7 earthquake that struck nearby on March 28.
Wing Commander Pierre Blais, who headed the accident investigation, told a defense board inquiry on Wednesday that a five-centimeter bolt linking two crucial components of the unit which controls the Sea King's movement had become disconnected from its normal position before the crash.
The inquiry, which is investigating the tragedy, had earlier been told that maintenance workers had removed the bolt eight weeks before the crash because a bearing in the flight control mechanism was worn.
The inquiry was also told the worn unit was reinstalled because no spare part could be found.
"The evidence was telling us ... the nut and bolt had come apart, causing the system to fail and the helicopter to crash," Blais said.
He dismissed sabotage, gunfire from the ground and weather as possible causes. Problems with the rotor blades, fuel system, auto pilot, aircraft weight and engine performance were among the 20 other possibilities ruled out.
The helicopter crew had been involved in relief work in nearby Aceh province following the Dec. 26 tsunami and were headed home when their navy ship was diverted from Singapore to offer assistance following the massive quake.