Earlier this week, a pilot operating an international fast jet in Exercise Pitch Black, a training exercise run by the Australian Defence Force, was forced to eject from the aircraft unexpectedly. The incident took place approximately 100 miles south of Darwin.
Exercise Pitch Black brings together 20 participating nations and over 140 aircraft from around the world.
CHC teams from RAAF Darwin and RAAF Tindal were in the air within minutes of the activation call. At the incident site, a crewman was hoisted down from Darwin’s Leonardo AW139 aircraft to the pilot on the ground.
In under an hour from the callout, the pilot was winched up and into the helicopter heading to Darwin for medical assessment.
Thanks to the swift and coordinated responses from crews in collaboration with the Australian Defence Force, the incident was managed safely and effectively.
Cameron Dixon, head of CHC Australia, said: “Thank you to all parties involved for their professionalism, dedication and teamwork during this challenging situation.
“This mission reinforces the value of cross-organizational collaboration and our extensive and standardized training to ensure high-stakes missions are safe and successful.”
This press release was prepared and distributed by CHC Helicopter.
