Robinson R22, VH-LLF: Chopper pilot died after clipping rock: report

The inquiry into a helicopter crash that killed a pilot in a remote Kimberley gorge has found he fatally blundered by clipping an overhanging rock while taking a solo sightseeing flight.

Angus “Gus” Mundell, 40, was flying the Robinson R22 Beta chopper near the Louisa Downs property, a cattle station about 115km south-west of Halls Creek, when it plunged into water at the base of the gorge in October.

Mr Mundell had been working for his brother-in-law Milton Jones, the central identity in reality TV show Keeping up with the Joneses.

An Australian Transport Safety Bureau investigation concluded Mr Mundell, who was based in the Northern Territory but living at the nearby Larrawa station at the time of the crash, was not familiar with the gorge when he flew in - and clipped the side of the cavern on the way out.

Another helicopter had flown to the gorge, and the pilot of the other chopper and his passenger were swimming when they saw Mr Mundell fly in and hover overhead.

The witnesses looked up in horror as his chopper clipped the gorge as it attempted to fly out.

“One of the witnesses recalled hearing two bangs, the second louder than the first, moments after the helicopter had fallen out of view,” the ATSB report said.

“The swimmers returned to the inner gorge to find the helicopter submerged, on its right side with substantial damage. The pilot was trapped in the wreckage and, despite a number of attempts, could not be extricated.”

Accident investigators concluded once Mr Mundell had flown into the gorge, he had no choice but to try and get out.

“The pilot descended into the gorge without full appreciation of the risks that would be involved in flying out of the gorge,” the ATSB said.

“Once the helicopter was inside the gorge there was sufficient space to hover and reverse direction, but with nowhere to land and no other exit path, the pilot was committed to climb out through the narrow opening.”