Broome - "It's a brooding melancholy that haunts me."
That title quote may be a touch 'dramatic' however, it always comes to mind whenever the 'Croc Jock' saga is mentioned, or; as it was discussed at the BRB indaba last evening. The feeling sneaks out from the shadows and I find myself standing at the workbench, no idea why I have square and knife in hand or what I intended to mark out. No matter the initiating thought, I always, inevitably return to how many lives, trouble and money could have been saved, had CASA actually done their job. Imagine, you put your 12 y.o. daughter into a helicopter for the thrill of a life time; a minute later that life is gone; in a heartbeat.
After the Darwin court case ended in a goalless draw, the Croc Crew slithered away, the media had little to do, and silence reigns supreme. Fair enough, court closed. But, the antics in Darwin are only the tip of a veritable iceberg; a large lump of floating political danger, covered in smoke and hidden by mirrors. About here I must an assumption make: that the reader is at least of average intelligence, able to separate wood from trees and comprehend the English language as writ in the following published articles. There are more and the 'links' will take the interested party to a place which demands answers to several questions.
The Nightly - HERE.
The ABC - HERE.
The Aviation - HERE.
There is much to consider on this Forum, for 'we' followed BOTH cases as many members consider the two cases as 'one' - or at least hand in glove. Consider:-
"CASA rejects blame over fatal Broome chopper crash." (AA).
"The written-off chopper belonged to his company Avanova Pty Ltd and was operating under the Air Operator’s Certificate of Outback Wrangler host Matt Wright."
Then consider the published information; it all begs but one question; why did CASA let it all go on, unchallenged? It defies logic that CASA saw no need to intervene or at least take a closer look at the 'doings' of these two operations. The amount of machinery 'lost' and the number of 'commercial' operations conducted and reported by a private pilot under a commercial AOC must have been worthy of at least a quick visit to establish 'all was above board'. But nothing on record, not even a quiet word over tea and biscuits? Nah; dont make any sense at all. None of it passes the Pub test. So the next question must be 'if not, then why not?
Some samples from the media follow; do the research and then ask the incumbent Minister to 'please explain'. Don't bother asking the CASA boss though; she joined the Board in a feel good, motherhood junket into the dragons lair, had a meal and enjoyed herself no end - at public expense. Ministerial chat over 'tea and biscuits? No chance: read the press and weep.
"Ay, thou poor ghost, while memory holds a seat
In this distracted globe."
"The Australian Transport Safety Bureau’s nearly three-year investigation uncovered a litany of failures and cover ups preceding the fatal crash, which left two other passengers critically injured."
"The ATSB found that Thomas had a “high-risk appetite”, a history of non-compliance with aviation laws, was unlicensed and unauthorised to fly the helicopter that day, and that he knew there was a serious problem with it before he loaded passengers onto that final fatal flight"
"For them, the ATSB’s final report – released in April 2023 – created further questions about how Thomas had been able to get away with so much, for so long, and why so many people had been complicit."
"Since then, the media has continued to expose shocking revelations about the rogue pilot’s rule-breaking, near-death crashes and cover-ups in the years preceding the double-fatality in Broome."
"At least three aircraft that Thomas owned or leased from his parents were lost at sea in the three years before he died."
"In 2017, one of Thomas’s Robinson R44s, registered VH-SCM, crashed into the water after taking off for a charter flight from the top of a boat at Talbot Bay."
The pilot and two passengers, who suffered minor injuries, had to exit the helicopter underwater and swim 50m to shore before being treated in hospital.
The Civil Aviation Safety Authority was told that the helicopter had been recovered from the sea floor and transported to Broome, but CASA did not perform a visual inspection of the wreckage."
“They were careless people...they smashed up things and creatures and then retreated back into their money or their vast carelessness, or whatever it was that kept them together, and let other people clean up the mess they had made....”
Time methinks, for at least one cool Ale; perhaps two if the dogs stay asleep. I finished that bloody chair, even managed to only have to remake one piece; it's a nightmare if you don't mark every 'bit' and the place it fits; 'gluing' up and one part upside down or arse about and: well etc. etc.
Selah..
That title quote may be a touch 'dramatic' however, it always comes to mind whenever the 'Croc Jock' saga is mentioned, or; as it was discussed at the BRB indaba last evening. The feeling sneaks out from the shadows and I find myself standing at the workbench, no idea why I have square and knife in hand or what I intended to mark out. No matter the initiating thought, I always, inevitably return to how many lives, trouble and money could have been saved, had CASA actually done their job. Imagine, you put your 12 y.o. daughter into a helicopter for the thrill of a life time; a minute later that life is gone; in a heartbeat.
After the Darwin court case ended in a goalless draw, the Croc Crew slithered away, the media had little to do, and silence reigns supreme. Fair enough, court closed. But, the antics in Darwin are only the tip of a veritable iceberg; a large lump of floating political danger, covered in smoke and hidden by mirrors. About here I must an assumption make: that the reader is at least of average intelligence, able to separate wood from trees and comprehend the English language as writ in the following published articles. There are more and the 'links' will take the interested party to a place which demands answers to several questions.
The Nightly - HERE.
The ABC - HERE.
The Aviation - HERE.
There is much to consider on this Forum, for 'we' followed BOTH cases as many members consider the two cases as 'one' - or at least hand in glove. Consider:-
"CASA rejects blame over fatal Broome chopper crash." (AA).
"The written-off chopper belonged to his company Avanova Pty Ltd and was operating under the Air Operator’s Certificate of Outback Wrangler host Matt Wright."
Then consider the published information; it all begs but one question; why did CASA let it all go on, unchallenged? It defies logic that CASA saw no need to intervene or at least take a closer look at the 'doings' of these two operations. The amount of machinery 'lost' and the number of 'commercial' operations conducted and reported by a private pilot under a commercial AOC must have been worthy of at least a quick visit to establish 'all was above board'. But nothing on record, not even a quiet word over tea and biscuits? Nah; dont make any sense at all. None of it passes the Pub test. So the next question must be 'if not, then why not?
Some samples from the media follow; do the research and then ask the incumbent Minister to 'please explain'. Don't bother asking the CASA boss though; she joined the Board in a feel good, motherhood junket into the dragons lair, had a meal and enjoyed herself no end - at public expense. Ministerial chat over 'tea and biscuits? No chance: read the press and weep.
"Ay, thou poor ghost, while memory holds a seat
In this distracted globe."
"The Australian Transport Safety Bureau’s nearly three-year investigation uncovered a litany of failures and cover ups preceding the fatal crash, which left two other passengers critically injured."
"The ATSB found that Thomas had a “high-risk appetite”, a history of non-compliance with aviation laws, was unlicensed and unauthorised to fly the helicopter that day, and that he knew there was a serious problem with it before he loaded passengers onto that final fatal flight"
"For them, the ATSB’s final report – released in April 2023 – created further questions about how Thomas had been able to get away with so much, for so long, and why so many people had been complicit."
"Since then, the media has continued to expose shocking revelations about the rogue pilot’s rule-breaking, near-death crashes and cover-ups in the years preceding the double-fatality in Broome."
"At least three aircraft that Thomas owned or leased from his parents were lost at sea in the three years before he died."
"In 2017, one of Thomas’s Robinson R44s, registered VH-SCM, crashed into the water after taking off for a charter flight from the top of a boat at Talbot Bay."
The pilot and two passengers, who suffered minor injuries, had to exit the helicopter underwater and swim 50m to shore before being treated in hospital.
The Civil Aviation Safety Authority was told that the helicopter had been recovered from the sea floor and transported to Broome, but CASA did not perform a visual inspection of the wreckage."
“They were careless people...they smashed up things and creatures and then retreated back into their money or their vast carelessness, or whatever it was that kept them together, and let other people clean up the mess they had made....”
Time methinks, for at least one cool Ale; perhaps two if the dogs stay asleep. I finished that bloody chair, even managed to only have to remake one piece; it's a nightmare if you don't mark every 'bit' and the place it fits; 'gluing' up and one part upside down or arse about and: well etc. etc.
Selah..