Safety issue
| Safety issue description |
GBR Helicopters did not provide company pilots with a personal locator beacon for overwater flights. This reduced the post‑impact survivability of a ditching event. |
|---|---|
| Issue number | AO-2025-062-SI-02 |
| Issue owner | GBR Helicopters |
| Transport function | Aviation: Air transport |
| Issue status | Closed – Adequately addressed |
| Date issue released | 07/05/2026 |
| Issue status justification |
The ATSB considered the addition of personal locator beacons provided an added level of safety particularly in the event that occupants were separated from the wreckage of an aircraft in the water. Therefore, the ATSB considered the safety issue as adequately addressed. |
Safety action
| Action type | Proactive action |
|---|---|
| Action number | AO-2025-062-PSA-01 |
| Organisation | GBR Helicopters |
| Action description |
GBR Helicopters advised following the occurrence, pilots at its Horn Island operation were supplied with survival emergency locator transmitters and sea dye to be placed in the pilots’ lifejackets to assist with an in-water recovery. |
| Action status | Closed |