NSW RFS HT204 control issue

[Robert.M]

Surprised the mainland media didn’t pick this up! No idea when it left Tassie but it’s going the long and slow way back.

While hovering to load the bucket from a river, the helicopter unexpectedly sank about 50 ft. In an attempt to recover, the pilot initiated forward flight but was unable to jettison the load before the longline became taut, causing a sudden stop and an abrupt tail-down motion. This resulted in the external hook and longline making contact with the lower fuselage.

The pilot flew back to the base at Zeehan where inspection identified damage to the helicopter’s fuselage, control tubes for both the engines and the tail rotor. Damage was also identified to the bucket and longline.

http://https//www.atsb.gov.au/publications/investigation_reports/2025/report/ao-2025-013

I’ve seen photos of it, the repair is going to take time.

https://pulsetasmania.com.au/news/at...nia-bushfires/