| Occurrence Briefs are concise reports that detail the facts surrounding a transport safety occurrence, as received in the initial notification and any follow-up enquiries. They provide an opportunity to share safety messages in the absence of an investigation. Because occurrence briefs are not investigations under the Transport Safety Investigation Act 2003, the information in them is de-identified. |
What happened
On the morning of 3 December 2024, a Eurocopter AS350 B2 helicopter was being used to conduct a series of passenger charter flights to transport contractors from Stenhouse Bay, South Australia to Althorpe Island Lighthouse, located approximately 12 km south-west across the water. After the first flight landed at the lighthouse, the 3 passengers on board disembarked and removed their equipment from the rear cargo compartment while the pilot remained onboard with the helicopter’s engine running.
The helicopter then returned to Stenhouse Bay to collect the next group of passengers. Upon landing, the helicopter engine was shut down and the passengers proceeded to load their baggage into the rear cargo compartment. At this time, it was discovered that the rear cargo door appeared to have opened during the previous return flight and a large section was missing (Figure 1). The pilot inspected the helicopter, discovering some paint damage but no other signs of impact from the door. The missing section of the door was not recovered and it was unknown where during the flight it detached.
The operator advised that the helicopter was not the one normally used for this service and that no indicator was available in the cockpit to indicate when the rear cargo door was not secured. Additionally, they reported that the passengers involved had been taking this flight regularly over the previous 6 months. The passenger who closed the cargo door prior to departure from the lighthouse later advised the operator that they had closed and latched the door, however the latch felt looser compared to the helicopter normally used. The pilot had conducted a daily brief with passengers prior to departure, however on this occasion the pilot did not brief the passengers about the operation of the cargo door.
Figure 1: Damage to cargo door
Source: The operator
Safety action
The operator has advised that, as a result of the incident, pilots are now required to conduct a shutdown and full walkaround between all flights and will be adding specific items to their daily briefings. The operator has replaced the damaged door with a forward‑hinged door and will be installing a cargo door warning light in each of its AS350 helicopters.
Safety message
Prior to take-off, it is important that pilots conduct a pre-flight inspection that includes ensuring that all hatches, access ports, panels and fuel tanks are secured. Procedures introduced for operational efficiency such as boarding of passengers and loading of cargo while the engine is running can prevent this inspection being conducted, increasing the risk that a door or hatch is not closed correctly and will open during flight.
About this report
Decisions regarding whether to conduct an investigation, and the scope of an investigation, are based on many factors, including the level of safety benefit likely to be obtained from an investigation. For this occurrence, no investigation has been conducted and the ATSB did not verify the accuracy of the information. A brief description has been written using information supplied in the notification and any follow-up information in order to produce a short summary report, and allow for greater industry awareness of potential safety issues and possible safety actions.