Australian Helicopter Crash Pilot Not Prepared for ‘Wall of Cloud’

A helicopter pilot who crashed into a mountain after flying into a “wall of cloud” did not receive training on how to manage unexpected deterioration in weather conditions. Dean Neal, 32, was killed along with four passengers when the Microflite helicopter he was flying crashed at Mt Disappointment north of Melbourne on March 31, 2022. The Australian Transport Safety Bureau’s final report on the crash released on Jan. 11 has found Mr. Neal lacked experience and training in instrument flying – when a pilot relies on cockpit instruments rather than visual cues to monitor the aircraft’s position through cloud or fog. Mr. Neal’s helicopter had been following a second aircraft when he passed through cloud cover and crashed into a large tree at Mt Disappointment, about 60km north of the Victorian capital....