This Day in History: 2003-03-19

Bell 47G-4A VH-MTX crashed at Caboolture, Queensland on 19 March 2003. At approximately 0830 EST, the pilot was conducting a lift-off to the hover from a mobile helicopter landing site at Caboolture aerodrome, when the helicopter rolled onto its right side. The helicopter was substantially damaged and there was no post-occurrence fire. The pilot, who occupied the left seat, was fatally injured and the passenger, who occupied the right seat, sustained minor injuries. The circumstances of the accident are consistent with the phenomenon known as dynamic rollover. Scrape marks from the helicopter’s right skid were found on the lip along the right side of the mobile platform. That indicated that the helicopter was not raised to a height sufficient to clear the platform in the event of lateral movement. Source: ATSB