Ansett Flying Boat Services – Aviation Historical Society of Australia

DerekB30/12/202431/12/2024

Outlook AHSA Newsletter December 2024

The December 2024 edition of Outlook / AHSA News was distributed to members recently. This edition can be read online in the viewer below....

1987 On 24 July 1987 the Departments of Transport, Aviation and Communications amalgamated to form the Department of Transport and Communications under its Minister, Senator Gareth Evans, who was replaced a year later by Hon Ralph Willis MP. Source: Airservices Australia web site, http://www.airservices.gov.au via aph.gov.au website

2000 Bell 206L-3 LongRanger III VH-FFI operated by Grant Kenney Aviation/QES Rescue crashed 1 km north-west of Marlborough, QLD on 24 July 2000. On 23 July 2000 at 2326 EST, the pilot of a Bell 206L-3 Longranger helicopter was called by the Rockhampton Ambulance Service Communications (CAPCOM) and requested to transport Queensland Ambulance Service (QAS) personnel to a patient located on "Yarandoo", a property approximately 90 NM northwest of Rockhampton. CAPCOM records revealed that the helicopter departed Rockhampton at 2340. The flight was conducted under the night visual flight rules (NVFR). After arrival at the property, a decision was made to transport the patient (a child) and his mother to the Rockhampton Hospital. On board for the return flight to Rockhampton were the pilot in command, a crewman-paramedic, an intensive-care paramedic, the child and the child's mother. Throughout the flight, the pilot was in radio communication with CAPCOM. At 0114 hours Eastern Standard Time (EST), the pilot reported departure from Yarandoo and at 0126, passed an estimate for Rockhampton "10 minutes past the hour". At 0132, the pilot reported that "because of a fairly high fuel burn rate", he was going to divert from his present position direct to Marlborough and that he estimated Marlborough in about 10 minutes. He asked that CAPCOM arrange road transport to Rockhampton for the patient, his mother and the intensive-care paramedic. In response, CAPCOM directed a Marlborough-based ambulance vehicle to deploy to the Marlborough state school sports field to meet the helicopter. Fog had formed at Marlborough before the helicopter arrived. At 0141, the pilot called the officer in charge of the Marlborough-based ambulance vehicle, now deployed to the school sports field, and asked him to switch on all of the vehicle's external flashing lights. The ambulance officer replied that the vehicle's lights were on and that visibility on the ground was "about the length of a football field". The helicopter arrived overhead the sports field at 0144. The pilot could see the vehicle when the helicopter was directly overhead, but the fog was sufficiently thick to deny the pilot any slant visibility of ground objects. The pilot then switched the "Nightsun" searchlight on, and made two further attempts to initiate an approach to the sports field, without success. At 0154, the pilot asked the ambulance officer to reposition the ambulance vehicle to the northern intersection of the Bruce Highway and Perkins Road, which was illuminated by overhead orange lights. The pilot said that he could see the cross-pattern of lights and that he would use the cross as an approach reference. At 0159, the pilot informed the ambulance officer that he would aim his approach to the centre of the cross-pattern, and asked the ambulance officer to check the road going west from the intersection for aerial cables that could become a hazard during the final approach. A witness reported that throughout that time, the helicopter's "Nightsun" searchlight remained illuminated. At 0201, the ambulance officer informed the pilot that visibility was about 5 m. The pilot replied, but the reply could not be understood. At 0203 and again one minute later, the ambulance officer called the pilot but received no reply. Around that time, he heard a sound consistent with a ground impact. At 0206, a Marlborough resident arrived at the intersection and told the ambulance officer that he believed the helicopter had crashed. About one hour later, the accident site was located. The helicopter had been destroyed and all occupants had received fatal injuries. Sources: ATSB; aviation-safety.net website

2004 In an early morning incident on 24 July 2002, a Qantas Boeing 737, en route from Perth to Canberra with 87 onboard, flew south of the prescribed course, near mountains, activating the TCAS terrain avoidance alarm. ATSB investigation revealed several causal factors including an un-crewed control tower, an overheated cockpit and tired pilots. Source: ATSB, Aviation Safety Investigation Report 200402747, 18 May 2005. via aph.gov.au website