'Ah, sorry guys': Pilot's reaction after Antarctic mishap damages plane
An accident that damaged an Australian-contracted aircraft in Antarctica has triggered new safety protocols on the icy continent, internal government documents show.
On January 3, an Australian-contracted Twin Otter ski plane operated by Kenn Borek Air in Antarctica collided with a BK-117 helicopter due to a sling load mishap, as revealed by internal government documents obtained through a Freedom of Information request. The incident, which took place at Nunatak 1.5, approximately 318 kilometers northeast of Davis Station, involved four fuel drums attached to a hook on the helicopter.
The hook made inadvertent contact with the Twin Otter's wing, causing damage to the aileron trim tab and actuator mechanism. The pilot and ground crew remained unharmed, but the plane was out of action for over two weeks during peak summer operations. Following the incident, Helicopter Resources implemented new safety protocols, including a minimum 10-meter separation for sling loads near aircraft and enhanced pilot and ground-crew training.
The Australian Antarctic Division emphasized the importance of safety and stated that no personnel were injured.
Written by urgent.news from ABC News AU's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — it may contain errors, so check the original before relying on it.
