VH MEH Aero Commander Recovery Bathurst HELI Lift 28 March 2024

VH-MEH - Recovery of Aero Commander on 28th March 2024
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It was amazing to watch how quickly the Blackhawk and crews from Helicopter Lifting Services completed this job; enjoy the video, guys.
Touchdown Helicopters - good work, loved every minute of it and meeting the crew.

The aircraft had made a forced landing after fuel starvation on 8th March 2024 , landing in a paddock east of Bathurst

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FROM ATSB FINAL REPORT

What happened On 8 March 2024, the pilot of an Aero Commander 500-S, registered VH-MEH and operated by GAM Air, was conducting a return cargo transport operation from Bankstown Airport to Parkes Regional Airport, New South Wales, with one intermediate stop outbound, and 2 intermediate stops on return. After landing on the first sector, the pilot found the fuel cap was off and secured only by a retention chain.

The pilot resecured the cap, but after landing at Parkes on the second sector, they again found the fuel cap off, and arranged an inspection by a maintenance engineer. The engineer found a fault that prevented the fuel cap from locking and rectified it. Later that day, the pilot commenced the return sectors to Bankstown. Shortly after departing Bathurst for the final sector, both engines lost power, and the pilot conducted a forced landing in a field. The aircraft was undamaged and the pilot was uninjured. What the ATSB found The ATSB found that for the first 2 sectors, the fuel cap was incorrectly installed with the retention chain lodged in the fuel tank’s anti-siphon valve, resulting in the cap dislodging in-flight and fuel being siphoned overboard. At Parkes Regional Airport, the pilot identified an unexplained discrepancy between expected fuel remaining and gauge quantity indication, but did not refuel to a known quantity or amend the flight log. As a result, the aircraft departed Parkes with the pilot unawarethat there was insufficient fuel to complete the remaining flights. After departing Parkes, the pilot likely did not monitor the fuel gauge, continued fuel calculations based on an incorrect fuel quantity, and did not refuel the aircraft to a known quantity at Bathurst Airport. This resulted in fuel exhaustion shortly after the aircraft departed from Bathurst. The ATSB also found that GAM Air's Quick Turn Around – Pre-Start checklist did not include a fuel quantity check before start, contrary to the aircraft flight manual’s before-start checklist. What has been done as a result GAM Air published a pilot notice reinforcing fuel management procedures for Aero Commander 500 series aircraft. The notice highlighted the importance of fuel tank cap security, and the likelihood of fuel loss should a fuel cap become dislodged, despite the anti-siphon valve. The notice also provided instructions and guidance on fuel planning, in-flight fuel calculations and fuel log entries to expand on information in the standard operating procedures. GAM Air also commenced periodic auditing of pilot fuel calculations and advised an intention to discontinue use of the Quick Turn Around – Pre-Start checklist. The fuel supplier at Bankstown was also reminded of the requirement to let fuel settle when refuelling.

LINK here
https://www.atsb.gov.au/sites/default...