Another employee sustained serious injuries after the helicopter crashed at a work site
A helicopter pilot for a cattle company was killed in a crash after performing aerial activities at his work site in Central Australia.
Campbell Taylor, known to be an experienced pilot, was killed on Saturday morning when his chopper crashed on a property managed by his employer Hewitt Cattle Australia (HCA), according to ABC News.
Another HCA employee aboard the helicopter sustained serious injuries and was rushed to Alice Springs Hospital.
“Within minutes of the accident, a safety GPS tracking device was activated,” HCA Managing Director Mick Hewitt said in a statement. “This enabled us to locate the employees and deploy medical assistance.”
“We are in contact with the families of those who were on board and are providing our full support to them,” he said, assuring staff and the victims’ families of counselling services.
Hewitt said HCA prioritises workplace health and safety. The company is working with authorities investigating the crash.
“We have extended our assistance and cooperation to investigation authorities and emergency services,” he said.
The Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) is leading the probe by examining the wreckage and obtaining “any available recorded data for analysis.”
“Should a critical safety issue be identified during the course of the investigation, the ATSB will immediately notify relevant parties,” the bureau said.
