Original source:
10 November 2009
Dodgy tails raise more questions about $50m rescue choppers
The possibility of tails dropping off was the latest in a long line of issues with the Bligh Government’s $50 million purchase of the AugustaWestland (AW) 139 helicopters.
LNP emergency services spokesman Ted Malone said the three AW 139s had proved a very costly and embarrassing decision by the Bligh Government and Minister Roberts.
“You have to wonder what’s going to go wrong next,” Mr Malone said.
“The Minister says daily checks are being carried out to make sure the tails don’t crack and fall off …that’s after all the other problems with what’s turned out to be three very costly helicopters.”
Mr Malone said (during Estimates hearings in July) the Minister admitted there’d been a raft of problems with the AW 139s including:
searchlights that didn’t work properly;
limited capacity for stretchers and couldn’t take anyone over six foot;
inability to carry humidi-cribs for seriously ill babies; and
unable to land on pontoons or soft/wet ground
Mr Malone said the Minister had refused to provide details on the full cost of rectifying all the issues with the AW 139s.
“They can’t carry more than one injured person and certainly no one over six feet tall because the cabin is too small. They can’t carry humidi-cribs, so sick children can’t be ferried between hospitals …you can’t send one to road smash where there’s more than one stretcher victim.
“Unlike the Bell 412s they’ve replaced, the AW 139s can’t land on any pontoons on the reef because their wheeled undercarriages are unsuitable.”
Mr Malone said the Minister ignored all the concerns from rescue pilots and their crews who wanted their Bell 412s back.
“The Bell 412s were internationally-renowned for emergency medical and rescue work, and could carry four stretchers or 10 passengers and two neonatal humidicribs.”
“Now the Minister is being forced to defend what amounts to another poor management decision,” Mr Malone said.