flight safety detectives episode 297 - Multiple Errors Lead to Helicopter Crash

A mission to collect crocodile eggs in Australia went horribly wrong after a series of errors. A R44 helicopter ran out of fuel and the pilot had to release an external sling carrying the person collecting the eggs, killing that person and injuring the pilot.

The helicopter was one of a group of helicopters participating in a reality show. The accident pilot passed on the opportunity to refuel on the way to the egg-collecting area, adding to several actions that led to the fatal accident.

The accident report details events that began years before the accident when the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA), Australia’s equivalent of the FAA, improperly approved the operator’s plan for this flight operation. The investigation also revealed various practices that increased the risk.
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John Goglia, Greg Feith and Todd Curtis dissect how CASA and the operator created high-risk flight operation that led to this fatal accident.

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