Fatigue, workload fuelled fears of 'catastrophic' crash

Army pilots had shared concerns about fatigue and workload leading to a "catastrophic incident" before a fatal helicopter crash off Queensland's coast, an inquiry has been told. Captain Danniel Lyon, one of four air crew killed when an MRH-90 Taipan helicopter crashed near Lindeman Island in July 2023, expressed concerns at a training course a year before about inadequate flying hours due to administrative tasks, fatigue and understaffing. He had told colleagues on the course about his concerns regarding the "high tempo" of his role and administrative workload, which was having a professional and personal effect on him. "Dan was a very passionate and motivated aviator, and his philosophy was if he didn't do the job, or if he just left the job open, it would mean someone else would have to do it for him," Captain Benjamin Jackson told the independent inquiry into the crash on Friday. "He was very adamant in finishing off his work, tying up loose ends before going home, so he would spend a lot of time at work." Capt Lyon had said there was not enough time to practice flying at night in complex tasks and if the administrative workload was not reduced, something catastrophic would happen. "I think he was a little bit sick of saying the same thing over and over again to people, and he would wear his heart on his sleeve," Capt Jackson said. "He meant if nothing was done ... something catastrophic, an aircraft crash would happen." Capt Jackson, who was also worried about the lack of night flying hours, said his colleague raised the concerns with senior leadership during the training course who "took it on board". "Most meetings with senior leadership, they just take your concerns on board and you just trust that they'll deal with it in good faith," he said. The inquiry has previously been told by other colleagues of Capt Lyon that crew were working 12 to 18-hour days in the months before the crash and were worried about losing proficiency due to administrative work. A fatigue management tool was rolled out following the 2023 helicopter crash that also claimed the lives of Lieutenant Maxwell Nugent, Warrant Officer Class Two Joseph Laycock and Corporal Alexander Naggs. The tool is designed for pilots to identify their fatigue levels in three different categories before operating an aircraft - green being OK to fly, amber being concerned and red being unable to fly. The pilot gave evidence that he had seen colleagues report an amber concern of fatigue but continue with tasks. "I identified it and then, I guess we continue flying," D129, a pseudonym for a sixth aviation regiment pilot, told the inquiry. A sleep scientist gave evidence earlier this week suggesting pilots often struggled to identify when they were tired but opted to push on regardless through a "get the job done" mentality. The inquiry continues on Monday.