Complete Copy Of The Atsb’s Investigation File, Including, But Not Limited To, Any Communication, Reports, Records, Handwritten Notes, Witness Statements, Electronic Documents, Photographs/video,…

Written by Claude Haiku 4.5 from the extracted text on 1 Mar 2026. It can miss or misread redacted and scanned pages. Check the source before relying on it.

This FOI release contains the ATSB's complete investigation file for a fatal helicopter accident involving a McDonnell Douglas 369D (VH-PLJ) on 19 November 2008 near Murray Bridge, South Australia. The aircraft struck a high-voltage transmission line during airborne joint-testing operations, resulting in one fatality among three occupants (a pilot and two lineworkers) and serious damage. Key causal factors included the crew's lack of awareness regarding wire transpositions (position changes) in the transmission line and failure to detect such changes during their approach. Contributing factors involved a shoulder harness failure. Following the accident, corrective actions were implemented across multiple parties: the helicopter operator enhanced joint-testing guidance and crew training; the power line owner revised hazard assessments; the maintenance provider underwent external audit and adopted recommendations; the harness repair facility upgraded equipment and initiated a replacement program; and the Civil Aviation Safety Authority conducted seat belt