A classified interim report from the Austrlian Defence Flight Safety Bureau (DFSB) has shed new light on the tragic MRH-90 Taipan helicopter crash that claimed the lives of four Australian Army airmen near Hamilton Island in July 2023, ruling out mechanical failures and pointing to potential pilot disorientation as a key factor in the incident.
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Bidgee, CC BY-SA 3.0 AU, via Wikimedia Commons
The report, which has been selectively briefed to various stakeholders, indicates that just two minutes before the crash, there was a transfer of controls from Lieutenant Max Nugent to Captain Danniel Lyon, adding a crucial element to the timeline of events leading up to the disaster.
Flight data analysis reveals that the aircraft, designated Bushman 83, abruptly climbed before plummeting into the sea at 130km/h, with only six seconds elapsing from the top of its climb to impact. The helicopter entered the water at a 140-degree angle, twisted 120 degrees to the left, while flight data suggests a desperate last-second attempt to gain altitude, as evidenced by the collective lift lever being adjusted from 18 to 56 degrees moments before impact.
Investigators have effectively ruled out mechanical, engine, or airframe faults, instead focusing on the possibility of sudden and catastrophic pilot disorientation. Of particular concern are the TopOwl helmet-mounted navigation visors, which had been flagged in a 2019 Defence safety report as posing “a substantial risk of multiple deaths” due to ambiguous and inaccurate readings when pilots looked left or right. Testimony from another pilot in the formation corroborates these concerns, describing difficulties in discerning the horizon and unreliable symbology readings from the TopOwl system during the ill-fated flight.
In response to the ongoing investigation and safety concerns, the Australian government announced on September 29, 2023, that the MRH-90 Taipan helicopters would not return to flying operations before their planned withdrawal date of December 2024. This decision effectively retires the fleet one year earlier than originally scheduled, with the government emphasizing that this move does not presuppose the outcome of the ongoing investigations into the July 28 incident. To mitigate the impact on military operations and training, the Australian Defence Force acclerated the introduction of UH-60M Black Hawk helicopters. Foorty UH-60M helicopters were ordered in August 2022 to repalce the MRH-90.
The selective briefing of the DFSB interim report has sparked controversy within the ongoing inquiry, with legal representatives expressing frustration over unequal access to critical information. As the investigation continues, the focus remains on understanding the complex interplay of factors that led to this tragic loss of life and identifying measures to prevent similar incidents in the future.
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One wonders whether the accelerated plan to get the 90 out of service was not only political but the service knew of the failings of some of the bolt on equipment and hoped to have them gone before something like this happened. It’s a shame people still have to die to cover up incompetence.