Post by corsair67 on Jun 19, 2007 18:58:09 GMT 12
There was some dramatic video footage shown on the news bulletins here last night of the crash of the Blackhawk onboard HMAS Kanimbla, and the video can be viewed by following the link in the story at -
www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,20867,21929256-31477,00.html
(You may need to cut 'n paste to get the above link to work properly)
Last seconds before Black Hawk 221 goes down
James Madden
June 19, 2007.
The six-tonne helicopter wobbles into view, set to attempt the kind of landing it had carried out thousands of times before.
But then Black Hawk 221, with 10 soldiers on board, suddenly dips and swerves, its tail rotor connecting with the side of the deck of HMAS Kanimbla.
Without its rear, the chopper spins violently out of control, bounces off the supply ship's deck and into the deep waters off Fiji.
The vision, captured by the ship's on-deck camera, was shown yesterday on the first day of a Defence Department board of inquiry into the accident, in which pilot Captain Mark Bingley and Special Air Service Trooper Joshua Porter died.
The inquiry, being held at Sydney's Randwick Barracks, was told pilot error and dangerous winds were the most likely causes of the crash. But it was also claimed the crash might never have happened if the "high-risk" conditions had been identified and the training exercise altered.
The hearing was told that the Black Hawk had been travelling too fast when it tried to land on the deck of the Kanimbla on November 29.
"This crash was not due to any mechanical breakdowns of the aircraft," said counsel assisting the inquiry Jack Rush.
"Rather, the crash was caused by a combination of factors relating to the flying of the aircraft on the day."
In his opening address, Commander Rush said the Black Hawk was undertaking a "high-risk" training exercise in tail winds of 10 to 15 knots when it crashed into the deck.
Trying to land the helicopter with such strong tail winds had not allowed the rear rotors to get "lift or bite", he said.
But while Commander Rush said the Black Hawk was going "too fast" when it crashed into the ship, he said evidence would be given that the exercise should have been altered before the landing so the pilot could take into account the tail winds.
"The evidence before the board foreshowed there was a critical lack of risk management processes," he said. "As briefed, the flight should not have been authorised. Specifically, changes should have been made to the brief to allow for the wind."
The inquiry was told by Major General Anthony Fraser, head of the army's helicopter systems, that a decision had been made in 2005 not to fit flotation devices to Australia's fleet of Black Hawks.
This decision had been made mainly on the basis that it would have increased their weight, slowed escapes from a sinking helicopter and have been an "extensive and expensive" exercise to do so.
Black Hawk 221 sank within 30seconds of crashing into thesea.
The hearing was told there was evidence that Bingley and Porter drowned after being unable to free themselves.
Commander Rush said it appeared Bingley's helmet might have become snagged on the antennas as he tried to escape the cockpit. He surfaced about four minutes after the crash and was pulled on board the ship, but could not be revived.
In March, Porter's body, along with the wreckage of the Black Hawk, was recovered from the sea floor at a depth of almost 3km.
The inquiry was told that Porter had apparently tried to release his safety buckle and apply an oxygen device, but it was likely he was injured when the Black Hawk hit the deck of the ship.
After lengthy legal argument last night, retired Supreme Court judge David Levine QC, who is heading the inquiry, agreed to release footage of the crash for publication, despite lawyers for the families arguing against it.
Mr Levine said he wanted to place on record his displeasure at receiving a message that "Canberra" did not want it released.
The inquiry continues.
From AAP.
Trooper tells of Black Hawk crash escape
Tuesday June 19, 02:42 PM
A Special Air Service trooper has described to a defence inquiry how he survived the horrific crash of an army helicopter off Fiji which killed two soldiers.
The inquiry, at Randwick Barracks in Sydney, is examining the crash of the Black Hawk A25-221, which plunged into the sea as it tried to land on HMAS Kanimbla off Fiji on November 29 last year.
Nine of the 10 soldiers on board were rescued before the Black Hawk sank, but the pilot, Captain Mark Bingley, later died of his injuries.
The body of Trooper Joshua Porter was recovered from the sea bed in March this year by a remotely operated submersible at a depth of almost three kilometres.
The inquiry heard evidence from one of the troopers on board the helicopter, code-named Trooper E.
Trooper E, who was sitting at the rear of the helicopter videoing the training exercise, said he had no idea the helicopter was in danger until it actually hit the deck of the HMAS Kanimbla.
"On impact I believe the seat I was sitting on collapsed," he told the inquiry.
"Straight away I felt immediate pain in my back."
He said the helicopter bounced on the deck and then went into a spin, and he knew they were going to plunge into the water.
"I made a decision that we were going to hit the water so I held my breath until that moment," he said.
"Then we straightaway started sinking quite rapidly."
Trooper E said he realised that because of his position in the Black Hawk, he was probably going to be last out of the helicopter, and he reached for his emergency breathing apparatus (EBA).
Due to his experience as a clearance diver, Trooper E said he estimated they were at a depth of 20 to 30 metres.
"I then was breathing on EBA and clearing my ears quite rapidly," he said.
"I realised it was time for me to get out.
"I found it quite hard to get out due to the rate of descent."
Trooper E said he reached up to a bar by the helicopter door and, using a chin-up motion, hauled himself out of the Black Hawk.
"Once I realised I couldn't kick to the surface and ran out of air on my EBA I activated the (life vest)."
Trooper E said he was making his way to the surface when he struck the hull of HMAS Kanimbla.
At that time his life vest had pushed his helmet down, covering his eyes so he was unable to see where he was going.
"In a horizontal parry motion I sculled along the hull of the ship until I broke the surface," he said.
Earlier, an air safety expert expressed concern over the failure of safety equipment aboard a Black Hawk helicopter that crashed last year off Fiji, killing two servicemen on board.
Pierre Blais, the Australian Defence Force's deputy director of safety and air worthiness, who led the ADF investigation into the crash, has told the inquiry several of the survivors reported having difficulties with the life support equipment on the helicopter.
"We did get information that when Captain Bingley surfaced that those who reached him first were able to note that he did not have his breathing device but he did have the mouthpiece, which meant that his mouthpiece was physically removed from the regulator and this causes some great concern," Commander Blais said.
"This is a single point of failure on a lifesaving device and it is felt by us that should not occur."
Commander Blais also reported problems with the flotation devices used by the crew.
"Again relating to Mark Bingley's position, the flotation device had raised above his head, which did not provide him the support to keep his head above water," he said.
Commander Blais said the air bottles the SAS troopers were wearing had been switched off during the flight.
He said the investigation team found that the crash had been caused by a number of factors.
"The team view was that there was a number of contributing factors that led to the crash," he said.
"That being the ... geometry of approach in those environmental conditions, and to a certain degree the configuration of the aircraft by weight."
Commander Blais said numerous simulations of the crash, in which conditions had been varied, had all resulted in "a better outcome".
The inquest is continuing.
www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,20867,21929256-31477,00.html
(You may need to cut 'n paste to get the above link to work properly)
Last seconds before Black Hawk 221 goes down
James Madden
June 19, 2007.
The six-tonne helicopter wobbles into view, set to attempt the kind of landing it had carried out thousands of times before.
But then Black Hawk 221, with 10 soldiers on board, suddenly dips and swerves, its tail rotor connecting with the side of the deck of HMAS Kanimbla.
Without its rear, the chopper spins violently out of control, bounces off the supply ship's deck and into the deep waters off Fiji.
The vision, captured by the ship's on-deck camera, was shown yesterday on the first day of a Defence Department board of inquiry into the accident, in which pilot Captain Mark Bingley and Special Air Service Trooper Joshua Porter died.
The inquiry, being held at Sydney's Randwick Barracks, was told pilot error and dangerous winds were the most likely causes of the crash. But it was also claimed the crash might never have happened if the "high-risk" conditions had been identified and the training exercise altered.
The hearing was told that the Black Hawk had been travelling too fast when it tried to land on the deck of the Kanimbla on November 29.
"This crash was not due to any mechanical breakdowns of the aircraft," said counsel assisting the inquiry Jack Rush.
"Rather, the crash was caused by a combination of factors relating to the flying of the aircraft on the day."
In his opening address, Commander Rush said the Black Hawk was undertaking a "high-risk" training exercise in tail winds of 10 to 15 knots when it crashed into the deck.
Trying to land the helicopter with such strong tail winds had not allowed the rear rotors to get "lift or bite", he said.
But while Commander Rush said the Black Hawk was going "too fast" when it crashed into the ship, he said evidence would be given that the exercise should have been altered before the landing so the pilot could take into account the tail winds.
"The evidence before the board foreshowed there was a critical lack of risk management processes," he said. "As briefed, the flight should not have been authorised. Specifically, changes should have been made to the brief to allow for the wind."
The inquiry was told by Major General Anthony Fraser, head of the army's helicopter systems, that a decision had been made in 2005 not to fit flotation devices to Australia's fleet of Black Hawks.
This decision had been made mainly on the basis that it would have increased their weight, slowed escapes from a sinking helicopter and have been an "extensive and expensive" exercise to do so.
Black Hawk 221 sank within 30seconds of crashing into thesea.
The hearing was told there was evidence that Bingley and Porter drowned after being unable to free themselves.
Commander Rush said it appeared Bingley's helmet might have become snagged on the antennas as he tried to escape the cockpit. He surfaced about four minutes after the crash and was pulled on board the ship, but could not be revived.
In March, Porter's body, along with the wreckage of the Black Hawk, was recovered from the sea floor at a depth of almost 3km.
The inquiry was told that Porter had apparently tried to release his safety buckle and apply an oxygen device, but it was likely he was injured when the Black Hawk hit the deck of the ship.
After lengthy legal argument last night, retired Supreme Court judge David Levine QC, who is heading the inquiry, agreed to release footage of the crash for publication, despite lawyers for the families arguing against it.
Mr Levine said he wanted to place on record his displeasure at receiving a message that "Canberra" did not want it released.
The inquiry continues.
From AAP.
Trooper tells of Black Hawk crash escape
Tuesday June 19, 02:42 PM
A Special Air Service trooper has described to a defence inquiry how he survived the horrific crash of an army helicopter off Fiji which killed two soldiers.
The inquiry, at Randwick Barracks in Sydney, is examining the crash of the Black Hawk A25-221, which plunged into the sea as it tried to land on HMAS Kanimbla off Fiji on November 29 last year.
Nine of the 10 soldiers on board were rescued before the Black Hawk sank, but the pilot, Captain Mark Bingley, later died of his injuries.
The body of Trooper Joshua Porter was recovered from the sea bed in March this year by a remotely operated submersible at a depth of almost three kilometres.
The inquiry heard evidence from one of the troopers on board the helicopter, code-named Trooper E.
Trooper E, who was sitting at the rear of the helicopter videoing the training exercise, said he had no idea the helicopter was in danger until it actually hit the deck of the HMAS Kanimbla.
"On impact I believe the seat I was sitting on collapsed," he told the inquiry.
"Straight away I felt immediate pain in my back."
He said the helicopter bounced on the deck and then went into a spin, and he knew they were going to plunge into the water.
"I made a decision that we were going to hit the water so I held my breath until that moment," he said.
"Then we straightaway started sinking quite rapidly."
Trooper E said he realised that because of his position in the Black Hawk, he was probably going to be last out of the helicopter, and he reached for his emergency breathing apparatus (EBA).
Due to his experience as a clearance diver, Trooper E said he estimated they were at a depth of 20 to 30 metres.
"I then was breathing on EBA and clearing my ears quite rapidly," he said.
"I realised it was time for me to get out.
"I found it quite hard to get out due to the rate of descent."
Trooper E said he reached up to a bar by the helicopter door and, using a chin-up motion, hauled himself out of the Black Hawk.
"Once I realised I couldn't kick to the surface and ran out of air on my EBA I activated the (life vest)."
Trooper E said he was making his way to the surface when he struck the hull of HMAS Kanimbla.
At that time his life vest had pushed his helmet down, covering his eyes so he was unable to see where he was going.
"In a horizontal parry motion I sculled along the hull of the ship until I broke the surface," he said.
Earlier, an air safety expert expressed concern over the failure of safety equipment aboard a Black Hawk helicopter that crashed last year off Fiji, killing two servicemen on board.
Pierre Blais, the Australian Defence Force's deputy director of safety and air worthiness, who led the ADF investigation into the crash, has told the inquiry several of the survivors reported having difficulties with the life support equipment on the helicopter.
"We did get information that when Captain Bingley surfaced that those who reached him first were able to note that he did not have his breathing device but he did have the mouthpiece, which meant that his mouthpiece was physically removed from the regulator and this causes some great concern," Commander Blais said.
"This is a single point of failure on a lifesaving device and it is felt by us that should not occur."
Commander Blais also reported problems with the flotation devices used by the crew.
"Again relating to Mark Bingley's position, the flotation device had raised above his head, which did not provide him the support to keep his head above water," he said.
Commander Blais said the air bottles the SAS troopers were wearing had been switched off during the flight.
He said the investigation team found that the crash had been caused by a number of factors.
"The team view was that there was a number of contributing factors that led to the crash," he said.
"That being the ... geometry of approach in those environmental conditions, and to a certain degree the configuration of the aircraft by weight."
Commander Blais said numerous simulations of the crash, in which conditions had been varied, had all resulted in "a better outcome".
The inquest is continuing.
