The Leonardo Helicopters AW139 drifted toward rising terrain and rolled to the right as the pilot hovered near cliffs in Australia’s Blue Mountains, attempting to lower a paramedic to aid an injured bushwalker. To correct the drift, the pilot pulled away from the cliffs, and the helicopter pitched up to 51 degrees in a maneuver that over-torqued the engine, the Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) says.
No one was uninjured in the March 26, 2021, serious incident, which the ATSB classified as a loss of control and near-collision with terrain.
In its final report on the incident, the ATSB said the Toll Helicopters AW139’s external white lighting was “insufficient … for the pilot to maintain adequate visual references†and that regulations did not set minimum requirements or provide other guidance on power output or other specifications for the lighting.
In addition, the report said the operator provided insufficient guidance f…
