High-visibility rotor blades from the two helicopters.
The first two of four Robinson R22 helicopters had just departed from Mount Anderson Station, Western Australia, to travel to the site of a planned cattle mustering operation, when the lead helicopter moved to the right. Neither pilot recognized that their flight paths were converging, and the two helicopters collided and plunged to the ground.
Both pilots were killed in the July 25, 2024, accident, and both helicopters were destroyed.
In its final report on the accident, the Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) said that the operator’s manuals “did not provide documented procedures to ensure pilots establish and maintain adequate separation” and that the operator’s tools for managing operational risk “were not tailored to their business.”
In addition, the report said, the operator allowed its pilots to plan their separation from other aircraft “based on personal prefer…
