A helicopter carrying two people crashed in Melbourne just minutes after taking off on Thursday, leaving one person injured.
The incident occurred at the Moorabbin Airport at around 2.30pm local time (4.30am GMT), when an R44 helicopter took off for what was described as a training operation.
The aircraft achieved an altitude of roughly 750 feet above the airport before it came down near the airport’s runway.
Emergency crews managed to pull both occupants from the wreck and both suffered minor injuries, with one taken to The Alfred hospital for further treatment, authorities said.
Photographs from the scene showed the mangled remains of the helicopter lying near a runway, with a crumpled rotor blade and a detached tail section.
Fire Rescue Victoria said fuel had begun leaking from the wreck immediately after the crash, raising the risk of a fire.
“Unable to stop the leak, FRV crews laid a blanket of firefighting foam over the spilt fuel and aircraft and isolated power sources to the helicopter to ensure the fuel did not ignite,” the agency said in a statement.
The helicopter’s rotor blade was badly crumpled and the tail section snapped off in the crash.
Victoria Police confirmed there were no fatalities and said emergency services were called promptly after the crash.
“Two people were on the craft at the time and one person suffered non-life-threatening injuries,” police said. “WorkSafe and ATSB will be notified of the incident.”
Data from FlightRadar24 indicated the aircraft had only been airborne for a short time before it came down near the runway.
The Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) said it had been informed of the crash and it was gathering evidence to determine whether a full-scale investigation is required. WorkSafe has also been notified, as the flight was part of a training operation.
The helicopter’s wreckage remained near the runway well into the evening as authorities worked to secure the area and document the incident.
The R44 model is commonly used in pilot training and light commercial aviation. The Moorabbin Airport is a key hub for flight training in Victoria.
The crash is the latest in a series of recent helicopter incidents across Australia. Investigations are still ongoing into the fatal 2023 Sea World crash in Queensland, which killed four people, including two British tourists.
Last year, a 23-year-old pilot died after crashing a helicopter onto the roof of a Queensland hotel. That flight had not been authorised, and the pilot lacked qualifications for night flying, according to an ATSB report.
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