Decision Making / 2 / 2.2

2.2 BLACK HAWK HELICOPTER CRASH—CASE STUDY OVERVIEW

Military operations against an armed and determined enemy depend for their success on deception, surprise and shock action. This is particularly the case in Counter Terrorism (CT) where hostages are involved. Here, execution of an operation with absolute precision often means the difference between life and death, for soldiers and hostages alike. High levels of precision cannot be achieved with confidence unless they are practised under conditions as close as possible to those that might be characteristic of an actual hostage incident. Such practice requires high levels of individual and team skills, and can be dangerous. Associated risks can never be completely mitigated without loss of training realism.

In June 1996, at the High Range Training Area near Townsville in Queensland during training to build individual and team skills required for CT and Special Recovery Operations (SRO), there was a catastrophic training accident. Two Black Hawk helicopters collided resulting in their destruction and the deaths of 18 members of the Australian Army, and injuries ranging from minor to very serious for 12 others.

The accident occurred on the second day of a series of training activities designed to develop and retain high readiness on the part of the Special Air Service Regiment and the 5th Aviation Regiment. These soldiers were training to undertake operations to recover Australian citizens should they become the victims of a hostage situation, such as has occurred in many parts of the World.

After the accident, an extensive and thorough Inquiry was conducted. It lasted three months. The Board of Inquiry Report and related proceedings comprise 17 volumes. In summary, the Board found that the accident was the inevitable culmination of a series of 16 directly causative factors. A further 26 factors were identified by the Board as having contributed. The Board made 79 recommendations intended to ensure such an accident does not recur.