"Chopper" down Darwin area

[Brian Abraham]

Just reported TV news. Pilot fatal. No other detail.

[Tailspin Tommy]

Hi Brian,
Any word on the name of the company or type of aircraft?
Thanks,
Tom

[bellfest]

R22...Mataranka....powerlines.......

DF.......'Norstock'..............RIP

[Tailspin Tommy]

Thanks much. Bellfest.

[topendtorque]

Area 80 today, wind 110/20, check google earth mataranka, see cricket pitch on eastern side of highway as take off point according to goss, service road where power lines are, dial in 2pob. PHL 200 hours maybe. Norstock does not register on CASA website, or am i missing something.
rodeo in mataranka today. after that speech, speechless

[Noiseboy]

Northern Territory News (http://www.ntnews.com.au/article/2008/08/24/5419_ntnews.html)

A TERRITORY pilot was killed and his passenger injured after his helicopter ploughed into powerlines and slammed into the ground yesterday.
The pilot, believed to be Duane Fishlock, was taking off in his Robinson R22 chopper when disaster struck at the rodeo grounds at Mataranka, about 100km south of Katherine, about noon. Amid fears the aircraft was going to blow up as fuel spilled around the scene, bystanders risked their own lives to drag the passenger, NT bull rider Sam Webb, from the twisted wreck.
He had miraculously escaped serious injury but witnesses said he was "shaken" and "could not stand up".
He was taken to the local clinic for treatment before being transported by St John Ambulance to Katherine Hospital, where he was last night in a stable condition recovering with a suspected broken arm. He and Mr Fishlock were taking part in the rodeo that was to be staged in Mataranka last night. It was postponed until next weekend.
Mr Fishlock, believed to be from the nearby Sturt Downs Station, comes from a well-known family in the Katherine area. He is also a familiar face on the Top End rodeo circuit.
Sports photographer Mike Kenyon, from Queensland, was covering the rodeo circuit and was on scene to capture the horror crash unfolding.

http://www.ntnews.com.au/images/uploadedfiles/editorial/pictures/2008/08/25/choppercrash-1.jpg

He said he had taken photos of the chopper as it landed at the grounds an hour earlier and when he saw it was going to take off decided to snap it coming up over the canteen roof at the showgrounds.
"I'd set up the shot but they never made it over the roof," he said. "They hit these wires and I heard a big bang and down she went."
"I was on the scene in a few minutes. There was fuel coming out of the chopper and I saw two young rodeo bull riders rush in and drag the passenger out. He (the passenger) obviously got concussion and didn't know where he was at first."
Mr Kenyon said the pilot had suffered severe head injuries and would have died instantly. Police, Fire and Rescue and Emergency Services personnel from Mataranka and Katherine rushed to the crash, which happened about 20m inside the gate of the rodeo showgrounds.
Civil Aviation Safety Authority investigators are expected to attend the area today. Australian Transport Safety Bureau spokesman Ian Brokenshire said it was not known at this stage what caused the crash.

[Hempy]

topendtorque, "Norstock" is the name of the Rodeo; pilots family heavily involved.

[206Fan]

Very sad.. RIP

[Capt SFB]

Article in today's Sunday Territorian

Northern Territory News (http://www.ntnews.com.au//article/2008/08/24/5419_ntnews.html)

Capt SFB

[topendtorque]

Maybe the photographer who took the graphic pictures could give them a lead as to why he had set his camera up beside the "canteen" fully expecting to take a picture of the machine overflying it, as per his statement in one of the stories..

The tag stories make interesting reading


latest below.

Investigators probe NT rodeo helicopter crash

Posted 2 hours 49 minutes ago

Map: Mataranka 0852 (http://www.abc.net.au/news/maps/map.htm?lat=-14.9227&long=133.0638&caption=Mataranka 0852)

Investigators have interviewed witnesses and inspected the wreckage of a helicopter that crashed at Mataranka, 100 kilometres south of Katherine, on the weekend, killing Territorian cattleman Duane Fishlock.
The 45-year-old died instantly when his Robinson chopper hit powerlines at the Mataranka Rodeo Grounds and crashed on Saturday.
Four investigators from the Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) have visited the site to inspect the helicopter.
The Bureau's Richard Davies says it is too early to know what went wrong and a preliminary report will be released in 30 days
"We are finding it very difficult to determine what the pilot's intentions were on departure," he said.
"We know he was on the cricket field there, he did become airborne, he was airborne for a short period of time and we do not at this stage know his intentions or his destination," he said.
Tags: accidents (http://www.abc.net.au/news/tag/accidents), air-and-space-accidents (http://www.abc.net.au/news/tag/air-and-space-accidents), nt (http://www.abc.net.au/news/tag/nt), mataranka-0852 (http://www.abc.net.au/news/tag/mataranka-0852)

[deeper]

His wife had taken his car keys so he couldn't drive his car, one high time pilot at the pub had warned him not to fly and was abused for it and another had thought about disabling the helicopter so he couldn't fly it but did not know how to do it.
15 knots of wind up the tail as he took off towards the powerline.

Survivor may have been in the pilots seat????????

[bladebanger]

deeper,
I am not trying to put you on the spot or in the **** but you said THAT HIS WIFE TOOK HIS CAR KEYS OFF HIM TO STOP HIM DRIVING????

I hope we have these facts wrong.

B

[Heliringer]

Just read on News.com.au, He was drunk at the time. 0.254Blood alcohol reading. 43 flying Hours after getting his licence and he has a go at flying drunk. You just got to shake your head.

[2leftskids]

ATSB Report. (http://www.atsb.gov.au/publications/investigation_reports/2008/AAIR/pdf/AO2008058.pdf)

[deeper]

The coroners report is out on the fatal R22 crash at the Mataranka showgrounds.

The pilot was killed in the accident and was found to have a blood/alcohol reading of .243, that is nearly five times over the limit for automobile driving.:yuk:, and six times over the limit for flying. That was well before lunch.

The passenger was uninjured.

[heliduck]

and six times over the limit for flying

I thought the limit for flying was zero? Has this changed recently?

[topendtorque]

I think it will be zero alcohol for flying but the automobile limit used be .08 in the Territory but may now be .05 to conform with a national standard.
There is no mention as to whether any other type of drug was tested for???

Machines may be used more for general property maintenance duties but I cling to a hope that most of the pilots are still the steely eyed professionals that boys dream about being one day.
But, there are plenty who make the newspapers from time to time, or the TV.

Why one was seen last sunday night on a popular current affairs program dragging a crocodile across a swamp with a grappling hook attached to a not very long line under a R44.

The pilot was later seen doing a "Steve Irwin' and scruffing more crocs from off a boat into the water. Maybe he will make hard copy soon??

[Shell Management]

A sad waste of a life.:sad:
Nice to see CASA have the guts to take a tougth line.:D

Pilot was drunk when chopper crashed: ATSB - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation) (http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009/02/11/2488677.htm)

ATSB has found a helicopter pilot who died when his chopper crashed at Mataranka near Katherine in August last year had a blood alcohol reading of 0.245.

Cattleman, Duane Fishlock died instantly when his Robinson helicopter struck powerlines at the Mataranka sports ground and crashed. The only passenger, 20 year old Sam Webb, survived but was seriously injured.

The ATSB has found that Duane Fishlock had drunk an unknown quantity of alcohol in Katherine the night before the crash.

Several witnesses said he appeared to still be drunk in the morning.
A post mortem revealed his blood alcohol level was 0.245.

Civil Aviation regulations state that pilots must not fly within eight hours of drinking or if their ability to fly is impaired by alcohol.

CASA tightens pilot testing

Peter Gibson from the Civil Aviation Safety Authority said regulations regarding alcohol consumption were tightened late last year and random testing will begin in the next couple of months.

"This effects everyone in an operational position in aviation, pilots, engineers, cabin crews, refuellers the lot and it also covers private pilots," he said.

"They'll all be subject to random testing. They'll all be subject to effectively a nil alcohol and drug blood content."

Mr Gibson from the Civil Aviation Safety Authority said there's no evidence that drug and alcohol use is a big problem in the aviation industry.
"The Civil Aviation Safety Authority has contracted a leading medical organisation to carry out the random tests," he said.

"They'll be going around to airports large and small, to aviation businesses large and small doing saliva and breath tests and then analysing those to make sure that people who may be affected are taken out of aviation."
Random testing for drugs and alcohol is due to begin by May.


http://www.abc.net.au/reslib/200808/r285732_1217725.jpg

[Rotorwashed]

what was the passenger thinking getting into a helicopter with a drunk pilot!?! I would like to hear his side of the story.

[Shell Management]

:confused:You mean you have never been a car passenger with someone who has had a drink?:confused:

If not, well done.:D Its that sort of attitude, like holding the handrail, reverse parking, or carrying coffee only in cups with lids that hled achieve a safety cullture.:)

[chopjock]

Of course sober pilots fly into power cables too. Was this a drink related crash or was the pilot flying perfectly, but just did not see the cables?
Always two sides to an arguement.

[Unhinged]

At 5 times the legal limit for driving a car, I think you'd have trouble arguing that alcohol wasn't a significant factor in this crash. He wasn't just a little bit drunk.

[Hedge36]

"Mr Gibson from the Civil Aviation Safety Authority said there's no evidence that drug and alcohol use is a big problem in the aviation industry."

But they'll be sure to start harassing people, just the same. Brilliant.

[rotorfan]

0.245??!!:eek: I would be in a coma at that level. I'm surprised he was actually flying, rather than doing a "Hogg" and losing it on the takeoff. Does this mean he was a helluva pilot, or the R22 isn't as hard to fly as rumored?:E

Surprised the ship doesn't look worse than that after hitting wires. Maybe not that high, so less distance to fall?

[Thomas coupling]

Sorry - I don't understand....the Robbo look normal to me :}

[forget]

Mmm thanks for that Thomas Coupling, what a well adjusted person you are :yuk:

http://www.pprune.org/6392810-post23.html :rolleyes:

[RVDT]

Being Mataranka and after the event he was probably relatively sober compared to any other human being within about 200 miles.

[Shell Management]

But they'll be sure to start harassing people, just the same. Brilliant.

No, :=
they will start regulating them:)
with sensible complaince monitoring:D
to prevent accidents and protect the public.:ok:

[homonculus]

A nil blood alcohol demand is niether sensible nor practical. Depending upon the equipment used, but also on the sex, body mass, age, habitus and medical condition of the pilot, you can measure blood alcohol days after a drink. Certain infections produce low levels of blood alcohol as do certain legitimate drugs and even lotions.

It is the same with testing drivers - once you make the legal limt very low or zero you put safe and even teetotal pilots at risk of prosecution.

Oh well, more work for the lawyers

[Shell Management]

True.:D
IIRC the limit is 0.02 in Australia.:)

[Unhinged]

A nil blood alcohol demand is niether sensible nor practical.
Agreed, but I haven't seen anyone on this thread or in Australian aviation promoting an absolute nil alcohol limit.

IIRC the limit is 0.02 in Australia
The driving limit is generally 0.05, but can be less, depending on the state, your licence level, and occupation. That's plenty to allow for a couple of glasses of your favourite, or the inaccuracy of the measuring equipment, or whatever.

[topendtorque]

Australian states ares very proactive in trying to reduce road deaths.:D


Yes and no. BTW its .05 in the NT and zero for bus /taxi or truck drivers. Just the other day in a town called Darwin (yes I know) not far from mad-or-ranka a 19 yr old driver with six on board wiped out his limo and a 14 yr old pax of six in the car none of whom were wearing seatbelts. So the msg is not getting read. Same town over a period of 6 months not long back every sunday around 2.00 am would be another single vehicle wrapped around a heavy power pole, with usually the driver and/or pax dead. So much so it seemed they were being set up by a serialist.

This case was sad as he had been counselled the night before by a senior pilot, about how it will bite him if he doesn't ease up, his wife had taken his keys off him to stop him driving, a mate had driven him home which was halfway between the place of the drunken night (Katherine) and the crash site and had lectured him severely as he dropped him of.

No one thought about the helicopter sitting there with the keys in it and the assembling party of camdrafters, rodeo riders etc just down the road. None of whom when he first landed there were smart or robust enough to whip the aircraft keys. No, instead, as he was leaving a fairly well know photographer (hence the photo quality) was set up in the grandstand overlooking the rodeo ground to take a couple of photos of a 'beat-up' as he was to leave.

The mate who dropped him off had repaired back to a domicile in Katherine where Duane's wife was and others, and started relating how he had, "told that useless bast*rd that he wants to sort himself out or he'll kill himself". That, the last thing his wife heard before the msg that there had indeed been a crash at Matarankas and they thought it was Duane..

Later we heard that there had been other shenanigans, up and down the highway at night, and flicking the Landing light on unsuspecting motor cars to scare them. Had some responsible people heard that instead of it being kept secret then there may have been another outcome.

The pax in the accident was a bull rider, say no more.

Whatever else is said it needs to be remembered that Alcoholism is a disease, and a father in a family is and should always remain as the hero to the young bereaved. At the very least until they are old enough to grasp and understand the realities of it all in a controlled environment.

I too had to struggle with a DAMP (drug and Alcohol Management Plan) for my AOC.
I hate it and I doubt it will curb this sort of accident, but it certainly may stop the various reports one hears of RPT and GA drivers wandering around in a half drunken stupor.

[spinwing]

Mmmm ....

Good post toppy .... if a bit sad and depressing :(

[griffothefog]

That will go down well in van 8 or 9 or........:E

[Hedge36]

No,
they will start regulating them
with sensible complaince monitoring
to prevent accidents and protect the public.


Call me crazy, but I think there are already regulations concerning drinking and flying. Feel free to explain how additional regulations will fare in the face of an idiot who chooses to ignore them.

[topendtorque]

TRAFFIC ACT (http://notes.nt.gov.au/dcm/legislat/legislat.nsf/d989974724db65b1482561cf0017cbd2/a9a5646dfd3a05256925784d0006e55f?OpenDocument)

As above the NT traffic Act, tool down to Part V, you will see a much simpler way to handle drug and alcohol limts exceedance. Just a few pages. There is in the traffic act a lot of stuff that could be edited out to make it simplistic for Aviation. Instead we have to battle with CASR 99, a document of some 77 pages.


Call me crazy, but I think there are already regulations concerning drinking and flying. Feel free to explain how additional regulations will fare in the face of an idiot who chooses to ignore them.


It won't at all, the Part 99 refers only to commercial operations, and further those with employees. Those who fly for themself could probably argue that it doesn't apply to them, even though all single pilot ops would surely have an entity for the AOC, different from the pilot, therefore the pilot will be technically an employee under Section 99.

Regards Private ops, well the old eight hour rule applies, well does it? One rule for some, none for the rest. Who is going to race out and police them? A loner out in the scrub or in the city will take a liberal view of regulations either on a once only effort of intoxication or as a problematic user. (That is regulations which it can easily be seen are not being enforced AT ALL, so it's the, 'they will never me syndrome'.)

It is a farce the whole deal, better to apply a modified traffic act for everyone and stop messing around, that at least would save a huge expenditure of time and money for AOC holders to build a DAMP.

It would also cut out another unecessary CASA bureaucracy tsk tsk.

[Thomas coupling]

New legislation won't stop nobber's like this. The good news: the passenger survived...more good news: the pilot has been removed from the gene pool.
Good news all round really.