An eagle strike may be to blame for a fatal helicopter crash in north-western Sydney earlier in the year, a new report has concluded.
Conducted by the Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB), the report said that the carcass of a wedge-tailed eagle found at the crash site in Maroota in July was found to contain residue belonging to the aircraft.
Veteran pilot Carl Hearps was flying over floodwaters at Sackville North, near Windsor, at 11.50am when his chopper came abruptly down.
Hearps was among those assisting the flood effort in the inundated area.
Witnesses at the time reported seeing the chopper "rapidly bank to the right" as it flew above the area and then "pitch and roll while descending".
One witness described said they saw the separation of the main rotor blades from the helicopter.
"Site and wreckage examination undertaken by the ATSB determined that the vertical stabiliser, aft section of the tail boom, tail rotor and tail rotor gearbox were severed in flight and found separate to the main wreckage," ATSB Chief Commissioner Angus Mitchell said.
"No pre-accident defects were identified with flight controls, aircraft structure or the engine.
"Testing on the bird carcass and biological residue found on external helicopter surfaces at the main wreckage site identified both as Aquila audax – commonly known as a wedge-tailed eagle.
"With this evidence indicating a bird strike occurred prior to an in-flight break-up, the investigation moving forward will aim to determine the full sequence of events, and potential safety learnings from this accident."
Hearps has been remembered as "such a great guy" and "one of those blokes that would drop anything to help anyone in need".
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