Search crews have located the body of the missing helicopter pilot whose aircraft crashed in the waters off Port Hedland, Western Australia last week during a marine pilot transfer at Australia’s busiest iron ore loading port.
The Pilbara Port Authority announced Saturday that the body of the missing pilot was located along with the helicopter wreckage one day after the search for the missing pilot was suspended.
The helicopter had two pilots onboard when it was forced to ditch last Thursday approximately 30 km north-west of Port Hedland as it headed to the bulk carrier MV Squireship to pick up a marine pilot.
One pilot escaped the aircraft and was rescued from a liferaft.
The Port Authority said the helicopter ditched at 2350hrs (AWST) March 15 at the seaward end of the Port Hedland shipping channel.
The helicopter, a twin-engine Eurocopter EC135, is operated by Mackay Helicopters, a subsidiary of Aviator Group.
The Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) said it will be investigating the ditching.
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