Torres Strait Jetranger
 

I’ve heard a Jetranger went swimming off Thursday Island on Sunday and that an R44 nearly followed it in whilst attempting to pluck the pax’s from the water onto the skids.
Anybody heard more?

Standard ops in the Torres Strait 😅. Any idea of the operator?

Rather than launch the dedicated SAR aircraft a couple of miles away at Horn Island?

Are you serious? I cannot believe it. Did you know the Operator's name?

Sounds like they panicked, aircraft had no floats and pax’s had no lifejackets and probably big bitey things in the water

Operator was well known in NQ rotary circles and the aviation insurance business…..SS

It sounds a lot like you have the whole story and are drip feeding it in the hope that someone else picks up the baton and runs with it.

Oh be assured Nescafé I know more of the story since the original post, that’s the idea of posting is to look, listen a learn.
The video of the R44 is priceless

Is the operator named after a Jules Verne submarine?

Then why not share so others can "look, listen a learn"?

Seems your on a fishing expedition yourself.

If you want to play aviation politics and drip feed info I reckon your on the wrong forum mate.

it was not nautilus, or Babcock, or gbr, or calibre, or helipower, or skytrans, or cape air, or torres air.

Well lets see it and we'll make our own judgements.

Brief summary of this accident now listed on ATSB website:

https://www.atsb.gov.au/publications...rt/ao-2024-012

The JetRanger was VH-VHC.

If it was someone trying to do something they hadn't trained for in a helicopter not designed or intended for that purpose then I can imagine what the video looks like.

VHC owned and operated by Steven Edwin SPINAZE trading as DOWNUNDER HELICOPTERS/HELICHARTERS AUSTRALIA.

crab, if some one is making a life saving attempt, evem if not trained etc perhaps some leeway may be given, we don't know the details so unable to judge in this case, you may be correct, will come out in the wash.

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The NTSB investigates only on the B206 accident. they haven't open an inquiry on a R44.
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First rule of first aid - don't become a casualty yourself. Trying to lift someone out of the water with the skids of a Robbie is just well intentioned stupidity. Better to throw them your lifejacket.

If you end up with them in the water after crashing your aircraft on top of them - how has that made anything better?

You have the correct owner but the company trading name is well out of date, he’s probably holds the record for the most written off airframes in Australian GA charter in the last 10 years. Hence there’s a few different trading names, borrowed AOCs, “private ops” companies he’s used.
As for the R44 dipping its skids in the water, all that was achieving was blocking the dinghy from picking up the swimmers. ATSB are CASA are aware.

All too true, but as the record of the trained professionals show from time to time.

Not sure what your point was with those videos?

They only show that rescuing people isn't as easy as some think, even when you have had some training, so doing it with none is inviting disaster.

When the stretcher spins you need forward speed to stabilise it.