Risk taking may have influenced the pilot involved in a deadly helicopter crash in Broome three years ago.
The Robinson R44 broke up in mid-air and crashed to the ground on July 4, 2020, killing local pilot and tour operator Troy Thomas and 12-year-old Amber Jess Millar and seriously injuring two others.
In its final report on the crash, the Australian Transport Safety Bureau said on Wednesday that the pilot’s “risk-taking” may have contributed to his decision to fly, despite failing to identify the source of unusual mechanical vibrations.
The findings suggested Mr Thomas had a history of deliberate risk-taking, such as flying with too many passengers and flying low without the required qualifications.
The report also found that he was legally banned from flying because he did not hold a valid aero-medical certificate.
Troy Thomas was up for risky flying before fatally crashing a helicopter near Broome in 2020, an aviation watchdog found
Amber Jess Millar was killed in the helicopter crash at the age of 12
“The findings are beyond disturbing and confirm that Amber’s death was entirely preventable on many levels, indicating a complete disregard for aviation safety,” Amber Millar’s father, Clint Benbow, told ABC. Radio.
The wait for answers during the nearly three years since the tragedy had been excruciating, he said.
“It’s been the most long-lasting, painful, soul-destroying experience because, of course, when you’re classified, you can’t talk about the details gathered during the investigation.”
Pilots had previously reported vibrations in the helicopter’s tail rotor pedals.
The ATSB report found that an overload fracture caused the tail rotor gearbox to separate from the helicopter’s body shortly after takeoff.
However, no one officially reported the problem via a maintenance release form, which meant the aircraft could still be operated.
The scene of the deadly helicopter crash near the remote tourist town of Broome in Western Australia
Teaching assistant Maddison Down was injured in the 2020 helicopter crash
Mr Benbow denounced the failure, saying it could have prevented the killing.
“If the maintenance document had been used, regardless of what was said orally, someone’s authorized signature would have been required to return that helicopter to service,” he said.
“And that form wasn’t used at all.”
A mechanical inspection the day before the accident revealed no defects.
ATSB Chief Constable Angus Mitchell said the next step should have been to conduct a graduated flight check with the helicopter in the air.
Instead, it was used for a powerful take-off for the scenic flight with three passengers on board.
The pilot should have heeded warnings that unusual vibrations could indicate a critical component failure, he said.
“The pilot’s handbook states that pilots must land as soon as possible and formally declare the helicopter unusable.”
Mr Mitchell added that the helicopter should not have been returned to service until the source of the vibration had been found and rectified.
The industrial area where it was launched was also not an approved site.
Amber’s mother, Fiona Benbow, saw the plane take off and then crash again moments later.
“It was like a shot went off in my ears and I immediately turned around and saw the helicopter spiral out of control and crash heavily into Amber’s side,” she told the ABC.
Mia Thomas, 12, (pictured, centre, with mum Sophie, left) survived the crash that killed her father Troy Thomas (right)
Thomas (pictured right, with actor Ernie Dingo) was a veteran pilot in the state’s tourism industry
“I could see her face as it tumbled twice, one full circle, and then it hit the ground really, really hard.”
She and several bystanders desperately tried to save Amber’s life and help the other passengers – Mr Thomas’s daughter, Mia and family friend Maddison Down from Mandurah – but her injuries were too severe.
The Benbows have called for a Worksafe investigation and better regulation of aviation tourism in hopes their daughter’s legacy will promote safety and change.
“All we are left with is the silence in our home that is deafening, the emptiness, the hollow echo that burns right through us,” they said in a statement also released on Wednesday.
“No more laughter from you and your beautiful friends having fun, enjoying… Nothing but sadness and broken hearts.”