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NBCAug 03, 2023
Australian Defense Ministry: No Survivors in Helicopter Crash
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Image copyright: John Robert McPherson [via Wikimedia Commons]
The Facts
A search and rescue effort to find four Australian crew members in an army helicopter that crashed last Friday has become a recovery operation, with Australian Defense Minister Richard Marles telling reporters Monday that there's no chance of survivors.
An Australian Defence Force MRH-90 Taipan helicopter crashed into the ocean off the coast of Queensland during the biennial joint US-Australia Talisman Sabre military exercises. Army chief Lt. Gen. Simon Stuart said four members of the 6th Aviation Regiment were on board.
The Spin
Narrative A
The MRH-90 Taipan helicopter had a number of fatal flaws which were abundantly clear, yet Australia’s army continued to fly this dangerous vehicle while waiting for its new Black Hawk helicopters. Unfortunately, this mistake led to the deaths of four men in a completely avoidable tragedy. Just months earlier, a Taipan also had an accident thanks to its structural issues, yet it resumed flying a month later. These helicopters were never safe, and this accident was tragically avoidable.
Narrative B
There has been a lot of talk about the MRH-90 Taipan helicopter, with critics claiming the aircraft itself is fundamentally flawed. However, Australia’s bigger problem is with how the Taipan is used operationally rather than its manufacturing. Other countries using the MRH, like neighboring New Zealand, have far fewer issues. The MRH-90 is not a perfect helicopter, but blaming its manufacturing and completely scrapping its use ignores some very important details.
