Aircraft are a huge aid to a rescue when lives are at risk, but it’s critical that the safety of every rescuer comes first.
It’s obviously counter-productive to put flight and medical crew – and any helper on the ground – at high risk, while carrying out a rescue.
But some pilots lose sight of that, in the heat of carrying out ‘the mission’.
In March 2025, Queensland was hit by a tropical cyclone. The small rural town of Avadale, 1000km northwest of Brisbane, was cut off by floodwaters.
On 27 March, Channel Country Helicopters answered the call to assist in rescuing trapped residents from the town.
An R22 pilot from Channel Country spotted a man on a tin shed roof, surrounded by fast-moving water.
Unsure about the stability of the roof, the pilot quickly loaded the passenger and took off.
The passenger was heavier than expected, however, and the R22 was now 46kg overweight. The aircraft lacked sufficient performance to maintain altitude.
The pilot was forced to ditch the helicopter into a fortunately relatively calm area of floodwater, preventing it from completely tipping over.
Both occupants were able to scramble out of the Robinson, but in a moment of what surely would have been pure terror, the pilot was swept away in the strong floodwater current. He was later safely recovered.
The passenger remained by the aircraft, but in doing so, sustained chemical burns from fuel leaking from the crippled R22. He was also later rescued, and his burns treated.
While praising the pilot for initiating a rescue operation, the Australian Transport Safety Bureau investigation found he’d placed himself in an “…unfamiliar and demanding rescue operation”.
For this, the ATSB said, the pilot was, “…neither trained nor equipped”. It found that, as a result, the pilot did not take the time to assess whether his aircraft would be overweight after boarding the ‘rescuee’.
The ATSB concluded that its report, “…should not deter pilots and operators from conducting mercy flights, but rather [it highlights] that when responding to an emergency, it is important to stop and take a moment to assess risk to the rescuers before assisting others”.
Safety during Cyclone Gabrielle
The ATSB report is an important reminder to New Zealand pilots, says Lou Child, CAA Senior Advisor of the Triage, Analysis, and Insights team, and a former Safety Investigator.
“When you respond to an emergency, it’s important you pause for a moment and make sure you’re not putting yourself at unnecessary risk.
“You don’t want to add to the stats of injuries and deaths,” she says.
“If you crash, you can’t help anyone else – and other rescue resources must respond to your accident.”
The balance required in such a situation was achieved by Hawke’s Bay pilot Geoff Keighley during Cyclone Gabrielle.
On their way to rescue people from precarious places like rooftops, in a borrowed Squirrel helicopter, Geoff told his crew member, “We aren’t going to go in with that ‘we have to save people at any cost’ mindset.
“And we’re not going to take any unnecessary risks. If you’re not happy about something, or we can’t agree on the safety of something, we don’t do it. It’s that simple.
“First and foremost, it’s about you and I getting home tonight.”
Neil Moore is a CAA Technical Advisor, and was an air ambulance pilot for 25 years. He says he asked himself two questions before accepting a task, “Is it really necessary? Is it really safe?”
Neil would gather as much information as he could. If it was a night flight, in predicted marginal conditions, he could call pilots at the destination aerodrome – often remote and uncontrolled – to confirm the weather.
“It’s a judgement call, sometimes you knew you could get in safely, and other times, you’d call it and not fly.
“I’d always discuss what I’d learned with the rest of the crew and we’d make a joint decision.
“Sometimes in a non-urgent case, you could leave it until the morning. Everything seems better in the daylight.”
Breaching the rules
Clearly, pilots and aviation can save lives and property in emergency situations. But section 16 of the Civil Aviation Act 2023 needs to be considered before the pilot or operator commits to an emergency flight.
Section 16 Duties of pilot-in-command and operator in emergencies not arising in flight outlines the conditions under which a pilot-in-command may breach civil aviation legislation in an emergency. It also lists several associated actions the PIC must take in such a situation.
Experienced pilot, and CAA Assessor and Investigator, Velma Scholz, has been involved in several helicopter emergency operations.
“Start with assessing the situation,” she tells pilots. ‘Is this actually a life-threatening situation?’ ‘Are you the only way people in trouble can be rescued?’
“For example, can you call or radio through for help from another organisation specialising in emergency rescues?”
Velma says it’s important to remember both your own, and your aircraft’s, limitations.
“Don’t rush in. Instead, plan carefully and always have an escape plan.
“Make sure someone is aware of your intentions.
“Although it’s counter to human nature, you must try to distance yourself emotionally and don’t make the flight ‘mission-orientated’ – that sense that you must succeed.
“Safety first… always.”
More information
Vector Online: Lessons from a cyclone
Vector Online: Stay or go? Lessons from air ambulance ops
Footnote
Main photo courtesy of GCH Aviation.