Progress on crash cause

EARLY INDICATIONS: An interim report has been delivered into the crash of Shark 02 on the Indoensian island of Nias.

Considerable progress has been made in the investigation into the April 2 Sea King Crash on the Indonesia island of Nias.

The ADF Accident Investigation Team, made up of 13 trained investigators from across the ADF, delivered an interim report that details facts ascertained so far.

Two scientists from the Defence Science and Technology Organisation, an engine specialist from the helicopter’s manufacturer, Rolls Royce and an adviser from the NSW Coroner’s Officer are providing assistance and support to the investigating team.

Maritime Commander RADM Rowan Moffitt said the investigation was far from over yet.

“I need to stress that again at this point that the team’s work is a long way from finished and that even though what they found so far is significant, we need to avoid jumping to conclusions at this relatively early point about what the cause of the crash may be,” he said. He said the team is currently following several lines of inquiry.

“These include operations, engineering, aircraft drive train, mechanical flight controls, medical factors, human factors and the cockpit voice recorder flight data recorder,” he said.

In addition, their work is guided by International Civil Aviation Organisation conventions and the team works in consultation with the Air Transport Safety Bureau.

The team’s job in Nias was made more difficult by the isolated location, only able to reached by helicopter and the hot humid weather. Dangerous contaminants at the crash site required the team members to wear full rubber protective suits for their safety.

This meant they were generally able to work only for about 10 or 15 minutes each hour before they needed to rest and rehydrate for anything up to a couple of hours afterwards. RADM Moffitt said that the team had now returned to Australia after finishing its work on Nias and all flying operations for the Sea Kings have now been suspended.

“With Kanimbla back home, and no other aircraft of the fleet deployed, I am unlikely to face any pressing need to fly these helicopters, even in an emergency, in the foreseeable future,” RADM Moffitt said.

In addition, the Navy has convened a Board of Inquiry (BOI). The BOI is made up of five people including CDRE Les Pataky, a naval officer with 35 years experience.

He will undertake the role of President.

Other board members include aviation operational specialist CAPT Brett Dowsing, engineering expert GPCAPT Ian Farnsworth, Army psychologist and human factors specialist LTCOL Martin Levey, and the only civilian member Mr John Raby who has a very distinguished career in civil aviation.

 

Initial crash findings

Operations

No evidence has been found to indicate that:

• The aircraft may have impacted trees or other obstacles in the vicinity of the crash site
• Local weather conditions may have contributed to the crash sequence, but further analysis is ongoing
• The aircraft was unintentionally flown in to the terrain under controlled flight conditions.
• Data is still being gathered in the areas of weight and balance, flight control margins, potential for automatic flight control systems malfunction and aircraft performance limitations.
  
  Engineering
  
  
• Investigation of the engines at the crash site by Rolls Royce indicated no uncontained or internal failures of the engines. The engines will be subject to further scientific examination.
• No evidence to suggest main rotor blade or main rotor head failure but the blades and rotor head are subject to further analysis.

Aircraft drive train

• Data is still being gathered in respect of the main rotor gear box, the intermediate gear box, the tail rotor gear box, the intermediate gear box, the tail rotor gear box, main rotor gear box mounting frames, the hydraulic system and fuel samples which have been taken from HMAS

Mechanical flight control run

• The team inspected the mechanical flight control run from the cockpit through to the tail rotor gearbox, and they did that at the site. Part of this control run was destroyed by impact or by fire.
• Two components of the flight control run that are normally connected together were detached from one another. Several parts that normally connect these two items together have not been located.

Medical and human factors

• A separate medical report will be submitted in due course.
• Information is still being collected.

Cockpit voice recorder and flight data recorder

• Initial analysis has not revealed any abnormal operations.
• Further scientific analysis is still being undertaken.

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