Black Hawk 221 Board of Inquiry
On the afternoon of Wednesday, 29 November 2006, an Australian Army Black Hawk 221 helicopter from 171 Aviation Squadron crashed while operating with HMAS Kanimbla in international waters south-west of Suva, Fiji.
At the time, HMAS Kanimbla was deployed to be ready to take appropriate measures to ensure the safety of Australians in Fiji.
The Black Hawk was carrying four crew and six soldiers from the Special Air Service Regiment when it crashed and sank in deep water.
The pilot, Captain Mark Bingley, was killed. His body was repatriated to Australia along with the injured personnel.
One of the passengers of the Black Hawk helicopter, Special Air Service Trooper Joshua Porter, was posted as missing, presumed dead. Seven other personnel were injured in the incident. These injuries were not of a serious nature.
The remains of Trooper Porter and the wreckage of the helicopter were located in early March 2007. Trooper Porter’s remains were recovered and repatriated back to Australia on 13 March 2007.