Australia: No hope for survivors in military chopper crash
July 31, 2023
Australian authorities said Monday that there is no chance crew members survived the "catastrophic impact" of a military helicopter crash last Friday.
Four Australian army crew members were missing after their "Taipan" helicopter crashed into the sea off of Queensland state during multinational "Operation Talisman Sabre" military exercises.
What do we know about the crew members?
Australian Defense Minister Richard Marles said on Monday that initially rescuers had hoped they would find the four crew members alive.
"There was a catastrophic impact, and that forms part of why we are now transferring this from an activity of search and rescue, to one of recovery," Marles told reporters.
The crew members were identified on Sunday as Captain Daniel Lyon, Lieutenant Maxwell Nugent, Warrant Officer Class Two Joseph Laycock and Corporal Alexander Naggs.
"The loss of these four men is as significant and meaningful as the loss of anyone who has worn our nation's uniform," Marles said, adding he was "deeply sorry" for their families.
Chief of the Defense Force Angus Campbell said authorities would exert every effort to recover the bodies and the remainder of the wreckage.
"We'll be bringing our mates home to their families and to their regiments," he said, adding that the search efforts have been complicated by "strong currents and tidal movements" in the area.
Grounding the Taipan helicopters
On Sunday, Australian army chief Lieutenant General Simon Stuart said that Australia's 45-strong fleet of MRH-90 Taipan helicopters would cease flying until further notice.
Stuart said the army was planning to keep the Taipans in service until 2024, but that the crash might cause some reconsideration.
"What happens between now and then, from what we learn from this incident, [has] yet to be determined," he said.
The ageing Taipans have repeatedly been grounded in the past, with officials complaining that they are difficult to maintain and that spare parts are not readily available.
The crash was the second emergency involving an Australian Taipan this year. In March, a helicopter of that type ditched into the sea off the coast of the state of New South Wales during a training exercise. All 10 people on board were rescued.
rmt/wmr (AFP, Reuters)