Post by corsair67 on Jun 21, 2007 17:15:02 GMT 12
From The Australian.
www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,20867,21943851-1702,00.html
Disciplinary action over Sea King crash
June 21, 2007
A NUMBER of defence personnel ranging from junior sailors to senior officers face disciplinary action over the Sea King helicopter crash in Indonesia that killed nine people.
A report by a board of inquiry in to the crash, released today, revealed a civilian aid worker is being investigated by Australian Federal Police (AFP) over the April 2, 2005 crash on the island of Nias.
Nine Australian Defence Force (ADF) personnel died when the Sea King codenamed Shark 02 crashed and exploded in flames on a football field as it helped villagers following a major earthquake.
Two crew members survived after being dragged from the wreck with serious injuries before the helicopter exploded.
The 1700-page report confirmed the crash was caused by a failure of mechanical linkages within the flight control system.
It occurred following the incorrect fitting of a nut and split pin during maintenance performed on the Sea King two months prior to the crash.
The board of inquiry found the air crew's flight actions did not contribute to the crash in any way.
The report said there were safety deficiencies in the Sea King's seating and restraint systems, internal structure and materials.
"These deficiencies presented heightened impact, flail and toxic smoke hazards and impediments to escape," the report said.
"This directly affected the probability of survival of the occupants after the accident and contributed to the deaths of some of the seven occupants who appear to have survived the initial impact sequence."
The inquiry made adverse findings against a number of current and former ADF personnel.
"An independent legal review of the evidence before the board and its findings has been conducted to determine the nature of the action, if any, that should be taken against those individuals who may have cause to answer," the report said.
"Action has now commenced against a number of people ranging from junior sailors to senior officers."
The report said a civilian aid worker may have been responsible for putting flammable butane gas cylinders on the helicopter.
"As these could have contributed to the post-crash fire, the appointing authority has referred this issue to the AFP."
The navy said today it accepted full responsibility for the accident and would implement all 256 of the inquiry's recommendations in full.
"At the outset, let me publicly and clearly acknowledge that navy accepts full responsibility for this terrible accident,'' navy chief Vice Admiral Russ Shalders said.
"Nothing I can say will bring back the nine young lives that were lost.''
The inquiry's recommendations cover eight general areas - airworthiness, maintenance management, command control and communication, engineering and logistics, general administration and personnel, operations, safety and safety management issues and aviation training and skills.
The report said 30 per cent of the recommendations had already been acted upon, with the remainder to be fully implemented by the end of this year.
www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,20867,21943851-1702,00.html
Disciplinary action over Sea King crash
June 21, 2007
A NUMBER of defence personnel ranging from junior sailors to senior officers face disciplinary action over the Sea King helicopter crash in Indonesia that killed nine people.
A report by a board of inquiry in to the crash, released today, revealed a civilian aid worker is being investigated by Australian Federal Police (AFP) over the April 2, 2005 crash on the island of Nias.
Nine Australian Defence Force (ADF) personnel died when the Sea King codenamed Shark 02 crashed and exploded in flames on a football field as it helped villagers following a major earthquake.
Two crew members survived after being dragged from the wreck with serious injuries before the helicopter exploded.
The 1700-page report confirmed the crash was caused by a failure of mechanical linkages within the flight control system.
It occurred following the incorrect fitting of a nut and split pin during maintenance performed on the Sea King two months prior to the crash.
The board of inquiry found the air crew's flight actions did not contribute to the crash in any way.
The report said there were safety deficiencies in the Sea King's seating and restraint systems, internal structure and materials.
"These deficiencies presented heightened impact, flail and toxic smoke hazards and impediments to escape," the report said.
"This directly affected the probability of survival of the occupants after the accident and contributed to the deaths of some of the seven occupants who appear to have survived the initial impact sequence."
The inquiry made adverse findings against a number of current and former ADF personnel.
"An independent legal review of the evidence before the board and its findings has been conducted to determine the nature of the action, if any, that should be taken against those individuals who may have cause to answer," the report said.
"Action has now commenced against a number of people ranging from junior sailors to senior officers."
The report said a civilian aid worker may have been responsible for putting flammable butane gas cylinders on the helicopter.
"As these could have contributed to the post-crash fire, the appointing authority has referred this issue to the AFP."
The navy said today it accepted full responsibility for the accident and would implement all 256 of the inquiry's recommendations in full.
"At the outset, let me publicly and clearly acknowledge that navy accepts full responsibility for this terrible accident,'' navy chief Vice Admiral Russ Shalders said.
"Nothing I can say will bring back the nine young lives that were lost.''
The inquiry's recommendations cover eight general areas - airworthiness, maintenance management, command control and communication, engineering and logistics, general administration and personnel, operations, safety and safety management issues and aviation training and skills.
The report said 30 per cent of the recommendations had already been acted upon, with the remainder to be fully implemented by the end of this year.
