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A helicopter carrying two people crashed just minutes after taking off from Moorabbin Airport in Melbourne’s south-east on Thursday afternoon, leaving one person injured.
The incident occurred at around 2:30pm local time, with the helicopter crashing to the side of the runway shortly after becoming airborne. Emergency services, including Fire Rescue Victoria (FRV) and ambulance crews, rushed to the scene.
Photographs from the site show the mangled remains of the helicopter, with a crumpled rotor blade and broken-off tail section. The aircraft began leaking fuel after impact, prompting firefighters to quickly douse the wreckage in a blanket of firefighting foam to prevent a fire.
“Unable to stop the leak, FRV crews laid a blanket of firefighting foam over the spilt fuel and aircraft and isolated power sources to the helicopter to ensure the fuel did not ignite,” an FRV spokesperson confirmed.
Victoria Police said both the pilot and passenger escaped with minor injuries. One person was transported to The Alfred Hospital in Melbourne for further treatment.
Flight tracking data from Flight Radar 24 revealed that the helicopter had been in the air for only a few minutes before it came down.
The Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) stated it had been notified of the crash, involving an R44 helicopter during training operations, and was currently gathering information to decide whether a formal investigation would be launched.
This crash adds to a series of helicopter incidents in Australia in recent years, including the 2023 Sea World tragedy in Brisbane, where four people lost their lives, and a 2024 hotel rooftop crash in Queensland.
