On the morning of 25 February 2025, an Agusta A109E helicopter was conducting a marine pilot transfer operation on the inbound bulk carrier Star Coral at Blossom Bank pilot boarding ground, 153 km off the coast of Whitehaven Bay in Central Queensland.
At 0902 local time, during take-off from the ship with 2 flight crew on board, the helicopter developed severe vibrations. Attempts by the crew to recover the aircraft were unsuccessful and it made contact with the ship’s helideck.
The impact resulted in the main rotor blades collapsing and also contacting the helideck. The aircraft sustained substantial damage, including separation of the tail rotor.
The occurrence did not result in any injuries to the flight crew or ship's crew.
The ATSB has completed the evidence collection and analysis phases of the investigation and is drafting the final report.
The final report will be released at the conclusion of the investigation. Should a critical safety issue be identified during the course of the investigation, the ATSB will immediately notify relevant parties, so that appropriate safety action can be taken.