The pilot intended to conduct a practice aerobatic flight, and had arranged for an observer on the ground to monitor and assess his performance. The planned sequence was commenced, but the observer noted that the second manoeuvre was not completed satisfactorily, and the aircraft apparently stalled while inverted. After recovering from this situation, further manoeuvres were carried out. Other witnesses suggested that the entries to some of these manoeuvres were performed at higher "G" loadings than normal. The aircraft subsequently entered a spiral dive, which was continued without any apparent effort being made to effect recovery. The aircraft maintained the spiral until it collided with power lines, then impacted the ground. A fierce fire broke out and consumed the wreckage. A detailed investigation failed to discover any defect or malfunction with the aircraft or its systems which might have contributed to the accident. The pilot had been in current practice for aerobatic flight, and there was no evidence of any physical illness or incapacity which might have affected his ability to control the aircraft. However, it was evident that the aircraft was not under control during the spiral dive. It was considered possible that the pilot might have lost consciousness as a result of either a rapid increase in "G", or sustained high "G" loads applied during the preceding aerobatic sequence.

The pilot had successfully carried out a series of seven circuits with touch and go landings. He subsequently advised that he had been experiencing difficulties in maintaining accurate height and tracking on the downwind leg, and while concentrating on these points on the eighth circuit he forgot to lower the landing gear. As he flared the aircraft, he heard a radio message instructing him to go around. Full power was immediately applied, but the aircraft contacted the runway and skidded to a halt. The pilot had been relying on a memorised check list and, when distracted, performed only some of the checks required.

After passenger loading had been completed but before the engines were started, the pilot remembered that a nosewheel chock was still in place. She disembarked and removed the chock, however the aircraft commenced to roll down the slightly sloping tarmac area. The chock was replaced but the aircraft rolled over the chock and the left mainwheel passed over the pilot's right leg. The aircraft came to a halt at the bottom of the slope. The pilot was subsequently unable to recall whether the parking brake had been fully applied, or whether she had inadvertently released the brake when pushing her seat back with her feet on the rudder/brake pedals prior to disembarking to remove the chock.

The pilot received a weather briefing before departing Townsville which indicated that the weather enroute was unsuitable for flight under the Visual Flight Rules. After being issued with a clearance to enter Cairns control zone no further transmissions were received from the aircraft and it failed to arrive at Cairns. The wreckage of the aircraft was located in rain forest on the lower southern slopes of the south peak of the Bellenden Ker Range. The weather in the area at the time was reported as low cloud with heavy rain. The pilot was not qualified for flight in other than visual meteorological conditions. Investigation revealed that the aircraft was serviceable prior to impact. Witnesses reported that they observed the aircraft passing in and out of the cloud base, which was at about 800 feet. They saw the aircraft tracking in a northwesterly direction towards high ground which rose to 4000 feet amsl. The wreckage was discovered at an elevation of 680 feet amsl. The pilot was known to have urgent business commitments and this may have influenced his decision to continue the flight in unsuitable weather conditions.

Circumstances:

It was reported that the engine lost power at a height of about 250 feet after take-off. The pilot attempted to turn back towards the DEPARTURE strip, but the aircraft stalled and struck the ground heavily before coming to rest against a fence.

Circumstances:

The pilot reported that he was repositioning the aircraft to a landing area which was in an open paddock. However, he misidentified the area and approached to land in an adjacent paddock. The main wheels struck a hump on the ground and the aircraft ground looped.

Circumstances:

The pilot had landed at the 800 metre long strip previously. The strip had an uphill slope to the west. When he arrived in the circuit area the pilot said the windsock indicated a 10 - 12 knot easterly and he noted another aircraft landing into the west. Taking into consideration the landing direction of the other aircraft and the uphill slope, the pilot decided to land into the west. The aircraft touched down about halfway along the strip. The pilot considered that the aircraft would not stop in the remaining distance, so he applied full power to go around. The aircraft just cleared a fence at the end of the strip but then descended and struck a second fence about 190 metres further on. It then veered left and eventually came to a stop some 400 metres beyond the end of the strip.

Circumstances:

The pilot was undergoing the second session of endorsement training on the type, operating on runway 31 in wind conditions of 270-300 degrees magnetic at 15 knots. On the second landing of the session the pilot misjudged the landing and the aircraft bounced, then touched down on the right main wheel, off the left side of the runway. The aircraft pivoted right as the instructor took over, closed the throttle, and brought it to a stop. After taxy in and shutdown it was discovered that the right main gear leg and the propeller tips were bent.

Just after lift-off for spraying operations the aircraft sank back to the ground and drifted to the left. The pilot dumped the load but the aircraft became entangled in a fence running along the left side of the strip. The pilot stated that at a height of about 20 feet the aircraft appeared to encounter a wind gust from the right rear quarter. The aircraft was heavily laden and the pilot had been unable to regain full control before the collision with the fence.

Circumstances:

Weather conditions were fine with a strong South-Easterly wind blowing, greater than 20 knots. The latter portion of the instructional flight consisted of practice auto rotational approaches and landings. The entry height for the manoeuvre was progressively reduced each time until the final entry at 100 feet above ground level and 60 knots indicated airspeed. The low rotor RPM warning horn sounded after entry into the descent. At about 30 feet altitude, both pilots became aware of a very high rate of descent. The instructor took control to ensure a level attitude at touchdown, but he was unable to avoid a heavy landing. The main rotor severed the tail boom and the helicopter rolled over onto its right side. Both pilots climbed out of the left doorway.