Three tourists aboard a Broome based helicopter along with the pilot had a lucky escape when the R44 Robinson rotary-wing machine they were in was forced to make an emergency landing about 15km north of Broome after an apparent engine failure


During the emergency landing the tail-boom hit the ground severing it off

"A motorist on the road had to wait until the rotor stopped spinning before he could continue on his way - all of the occupants were out of the aircraft and did not appear injured when he passed"



The damaged helicopter belonged to a fleet owned by Broome Helicopter Services and was removed from the site by trailer

Spitfire enthusiast and airfield operator Brian Scoffell has invited his warbird owner friends to drop into his airstrip at Willowbank south-west of Archerfield for a week-end of flying and visitor joy-flights in some of the rare classic aircraft that will be on show with net proceeds going to the Leukaemia Foundation

Brian and his 15-year-old son Stewart attempted an 'Around Australia' fundraising flight last year that was unsuccessful after their Spitfire Replica was damaged in a landing accident at Kununurra in West OZ

The event will be held at the Willowbank Airfield at 139 Goebels Rd, Mt Forbes on September 29 and 30

As mentioned in early June of this year - Administrators have been appointed to Kununurra's Alligator Airways after the suspension of their tourist based Charter Certificate and maintenance workshop approval by CASA and it now appears that the administrators are trimming the 16-aircraft fleet with five machines offered for sale in an on-line auction

"Video released by CASA justifying their actions is about a GA-8 forced landing directly after take-off and suggests to the News Desk that it was inadequate commercial pilot training (take-off aborts) that's really not covered under Alligator's approval #NT224533"

Auction closes September 21^st 2012 - 5-aircraft are currently on offer along with various motor vehicles