INDONESIA: INVESTIGATION UNDERWAY TO DETERMINE CAUSE OF AUSTRALIAN NAVY HELICOPTER CRASH

Record ID: 647526

  • Title: INDONESIA: INVESTIGATION UNDERWAY TO DETERMINE CAUSE OF AUSTRALIAN NAVY HELICOPTER CRASH
  • Date: 5th April 2005
  • Summary: (BN11) TELUK DALAM, NIAS ISLAND (APRIL 3, 2005) (REUTERS) 1. SLV CRASH SITE; REMAINS OF HELICOPTER AFTER CRASH 0.17 2. MV AUSTRALIAN MILITARY PERSONNEL; INVESTIGATORS COMBING THROUGH SCENE; AUSTRALIAN AND INDONESIAN MILITARY PERSONNEL 0.29 3. (SOUNDBITE) (Bahasa Indonesia) NIAS RESIDENT, WITNESS OF CRASH, SAYING "The aircraft flew over here but suddenly its nose dived like this, as if the front part was heavier than the tail." 0.44 4. SLV INVESTIGATION AT CRASH SITE; SCU CORDON TAPE SECURING CRASH SITE 1.04 Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
  • Embargoed: 20th April 2005 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: TELUK DELAM, NIAS ISLAND, INDONESIA
  • Country: Indonesia
  • Reuters ID: LVA2BIW43QWHDT098CTGDTB9QKEY
  • Story Text: Investigation underway to determine the cause of
    Australian navy helicopter crash in Indonesia.

    Investigators on Sunday (April 3, 2005) began securing and
    combing the site of a helicopter crash, where nine
    Australian military personnel died during an aid mission to
    the earthquake-hit Indonesian island of Nias.

    Australian Prime Minister John Howard said Australia's
    worst post-Vietnam War operational loss of military
    personnel was tragic and would be investigated, adding that
    it appears to have been a terrible accident.

    The crash of one of the country's ageing Sea King
    helicopters occurred on Saturday (April 2) as it came to
    land with four crew and a seven-person emergency medical
    team on board near the Nias town of Teluk Dalam. The
    Australian Defence Force said seven of the dead were men
    and two were women.

    "The aircraft flew over here but suddenly its nose
    dived like this, as if the front part was heavier than
    the tail," a witness told Reuters.

    Six of the dead were from the Royal Australian Navy and
    three were from the Royal Australian Air Force. Two other
    unidentified personnel were recovered injured from the
    crash.

    The helicopter had been flying aid sorties from the
    amphibious transport ship HMAS Kanimbla.

    The Kanimbla had been on its way back to Australia when
    it was directed to return to provide relief after Monday's
    8.7 magnitude earthquake off Nias. Up to 1,300 people may
    have died in the earthquake, according to U.N. officials.

    The ship and its crew had been steaming home after
    playing a significant role in Australia's billion-dollar
    aid package to help Indonesia rebuild after the Dec. 26
    earthquake and tsunami.

    Australia has 12 Sea King helicopters, which it regards
    as the workhorse of its fleet.

    According to the Fleet Air Association of Australia, 10
    were delivered in 1975 and another two in 1983, with their
    avionics recently upgraded to extend the life of the
    helicopters to 2015.


  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2015. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
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