More information is being sought about the Weipa Airport “incident”. Photo: Richard Felix/Unsplash.
UPDATE March 27, 7 pm: The Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) has confirmed a helicopter rolled during take off at Weipa Airport today.
Mining giant Rio Tinto – which owns and operates Weipa Airport on the Cape – said about 1.40pm on Friday that a privately chartered chopper was “involved in an incident during take off” earlier in the day.
The ATSB was notified of a “rollover accident on take off involving a Bell 206L LongRanger helicopter”.
The national transport safety investigator has been “gathering further information to determine an investigation decision”, and whether an official probe will be launched.
No one was injured when the chopper rolled.
Rio Tinto mining operations at Weipa. Photo: Rio Tinto.
March 27, 4:26 pm: Investigators have been called in following an “incident” involving a helicopter at Weipa Aerodrome today.
Rio Tinto took to social media about 1:40 pm on Friday and announced a privately chartered chopper was “involved in an incident during take off earlier today at the Weipa Aerodrome”.
“There were two people onboard, thankfully both individuals involved were unharmed,” a Facebook post reads.
“We can confirm they are not Rio Tinto personnel.
“Weipa Airport remains open, with commercial operations continuing as normal.”
The Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) will be “supporting an investigation”, according to Rio Tinto.
CASA referred queries to the Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB).
