Australian helicopter firm suspended after safety concerns
A Western Australian and Queensland-based helicopter company, Sky High Helicopters Pty Ltd, operating as Fortescue Helicopters, has had its operations suspended by the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA). The suspension, announced yesterday, stems from what CASA describes as a “serious and imminent risk to safety” and a “deliberately and systemically non-compliant safety culture.”
The company, registered in 2008, provides aerial mustering, charter flights, and mining support from Newman in the Pilbara region, with additional bases in Perth, Broome, and Far North Queensland. It is owned by cattle producer and pilot Weldon Percy.
Fortescue Helicopters serves clients including Fortescue Metals Group (FMG), Rio Tinto, Glencore, and Hancock Prospecting. The company’s website emphasizes safety, stating, “Safety, for our pilots and clients is our number one priority. We believe safety is a company culture, not just a practice.”
CASA’s findings detail numerous safety breaches, including directives to pilots not to accurately record aircraft service time, failure to document maintenance defects, and operating aircraft with outstanding maintenance needs. The regulatory body also found instances of unauthorized maintenance and non-compliance with the company’s operations manual, as well as pilots’ flight and duty time limits being regularly exceeded.
Weldon Percy declined to comment when contacted by the ABC. Fortescue Helicopters has not yet responded to requests for comment.
The suspension follows a pledge by CASA to increase scrutiny of helicopter operations. This announcement comes a year after CASA’s chief executive, Pip Spence, warned of stricter enforcement against those attempting to circumvent safety regulations. This warning was made in the wake of the sentencing of Matt Wright, a celebrity crocodile wrangler and helicopter pilot, in the Northern Territory Supreme Court last year. Wright’s trial and subsequent conviction involved allegations of underreporting helicopter flying hours. His company, Helibrook, was also grounded in late 2024 for similar safety violations, including falsifying maintenance records and reckless operation of aircraft. The duration of the suspension for Fortescue Helicopters remains undetermined.
Source
“Outback chopper firm Fortescue Helicopters grounded over safety breaches”
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