Findings handed down in fatal Cape Trib chopper crash
HELICOPTER CRASH
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THE Australian Transport Safety Bureau have released its findings into a helicopter crash that resulted in the disappearance of Mareeba man Brad Maisel last year, saying he was not qualified to fly at night.
Maisel and Port Douglas man Daniel Gray were on their way home from a fishing trip when the Robinson R22 the former was flying crashed into the Coral Sea near Cape Tribulation.
Gray survived the crash after swimming 800m to shore in total darkness. Maisel's body was never found, with the helicopter eventually found in 10m of water.
“To avoid the usually fatal consequences of losing visual reference, day-VFR pilots need to plan to arrive at their destination at least 10 minutes before last light and to have a realistic ‘plan B’ to use when it becomes apparent that the intended flight cannot be completed in daylight,” the ATSB said in its report.
“A further consideration for pilot decision-making about flying conditions is the degree to which passengers are also exposed to risk.”
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