Wirestrike involving a Kawasaki Heavy Industries 47G3B-KH4, VH-HFZ, 20 km south-west of Bowen, Queensland, on 23 August 1994

Before spraying a field cultivated with tomatoes, the pilot made a ground inspection to note the position of powerlines and other obstacles. Not long before departing on the spraying job, he was asked to spray an additional block in the same vicinity.

He completed spraying the first paddock without incident and moved onto the next block where he conducted an aerial inspection for obstacles. He noted that the same powerline crossed this block as well as the previous cultivation. He did not notice that one of the three wires was hanging lower than the other two. During his last spray run, which co-incided with the centre of a span, the helicopter collided with the lower wire and plunged into the ground.