Searchers looking for a missing 48-year-old female helicopter pilot have found the wreckage of a Robinson R22 helicopter 14.8 km north-west of Fitzroy Crossing in Australia's Kimberley region

Media reports had the 49-year-old pilot's partner raising the alarm at around 5pm (WST) on Wednesday after she failed to return from Big Rock Dam to the Brooking Springs Station

A Thai Airways Boeing 777 en-route from Bangkok in Thailand to Melbourne descended below lowest safe altitude on approach to runway 34 necessitating a 'go-around' sparking an investigation by the ATSB




It was only 3-weeks ago CASA grounded Australia's Tiger Airways for a similar breach of the air safety rules including other incidents

Two female air traffic controllers - Jacki Macdonald and Kirsty Fletcher - are claiming more than $1 million each for loss of income and their career potential after allegedly being subjected to years of sexual discrimination and workplace bullying including abuse




Ms Fletcher alleges she was bullied and physically threatened by a manager and denied training opportunities when she was pregnant with her second child and was on long-term sick leave when she was sacked




Airservices are reported in the media that they had terminated Ms Fletcher "due to an irretrievable breakdown in the employment relationship"




Ms Macdonald recently reached a confidential settlement however Ms Fletcher is pursuing the matter in the Federal Court and is determined to lift the lid on what she says are unsafe work practices in the nation's two air-traffic control centres

A Bell 206 Long Ranger helicopter has crashed into bushland at South Turramurra near Kissing Point Road about 0915hrs killing the two persons on board




Emergency service found the burning wreck of the helicopter at the bottom of a 10-metre cliff face - it appears the severe weather lashing Sydney at the time was a major factor in the accident