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Human remains, aircraft debris found amid search for crashed Australian helicopter

04 August 2023 05:18 (UTC +04:00)

The aircraft involved in the crash was identified as the MRH-90 Taipan helicopter, and was participating in the Talisman Sabre exercise, a biennial event involving 13 nations and over 30,000 military personnel, APA reports citing Sputnik.

Officials involved in an ongoing investigation into the crash of an Australian military helicopter recently recovered human remains and pinpointed parts of the aircraft's cockpit, marking significant progress in the case.

The new findings were discovered on Wednesday by an underwater drone at a depth of 131 feet, nearly a week after four air crew members were declared missing following the crash, which took place during a joint military exercise with the US off the northeast Australian coastline.

Army Lt.-Gen. Greg Bilton, overseeing the operation, stated the debris field points to a catastrophic and high-impact crash with the ocean surface.

"It’s a difficult task but we’ll do our absolute best to find it and, as you know, the black box is critical to helping us to understand what’s actually taken place," Bilton said.

The primary focus of the operation has been on recovering the black box flight data recorder, which is crucial in understanding the circumstances leading to the crash. The device contains vital flight data and cockpit voice recordings that could shed light on the cause of the incident.

Bilton indicated that the prior to the crash communications appeared to be "normal."

The official additionally explained that the Australian navy will dispatch specialized equipment to recover both the remains and debris from the wreck.

The incident has led to the grounding of Australia's fleet of more than 40 Taipans, and doubts have been raised about whether they will ever take flight again.

The government previously announced plans to replace the aircraft with American Black Hawk helicopters, advancing the retirement date of the Taipans by 13 years earlier than originally planned, which was scheduled for December 2024.