Tragedy has struck at the heart of Exercise Talisman Sabre 2023 with an Australian Army MRH-90 Taipan helicopter suffering massive catastrophic failure and falling into waters of the Whitsunday Islands last Friday night, July 28.
The helicopter was manned by four Australian Defence Force members and crashed at around 11pm on Friday evening.
The men on board have been identified as pilots Lieutenant Maxwell Nugent, Captain Daniel Lyon, Warrant Officer Class 2 Joseph Laycock and Corporal Alexander Naggs.
All four men belonged to the Sixth Aviation Regiment, based out of Sydney.
The aircraft had been participating in night training operations, as part of Exercise Talisman Sabre 2023, when it was reported missing.
While some of the aircraft has been recovered, as of the time of going to print, the main frame and the four occupants have yet to be recovered.
Sadly, it is very unlikely the men will be recovered alive, with authorities discovering significant wreckage on Monday morning.
Minister for Defence, Richard Marles spoke in a press conference on Monday, sharing news that the search efforts have turned into body recovery.
“With every passing hour, it is now clear any hope of finding Captain Lyon, Lieutenant Nugent, Corporal Naggs, and Warrant Office Laycock alive has been lost,” he said.
By the evening of Monday, July 31, Mr Marles confirmed the deaths of the four ADF members.
“Our focus remains on bringing our people home to their families and supporting the Defence family through this difficult period,” Lieutenant General Greg Bilton said, Chief of Joint Operations.
The ADF continues to work closely with the Queensland Police Service (QPS) to aid the recovery efforts.
Superintendent Graeme Paine said since the determination has been made that the search and rescue is now a recovery mission, QPS is working to prepare a report for the coroner.
Cause of the accident remains unknown; however the entire fleet of Taipan helicopters was grounded following the accident.
Prior to this accident, the helicopter was meant to be discontinued from December 2023, in favour for American Black Hawks.
Lieutenant Maxwell Nugent, Captain Daniel Lyon, Warrant Officer Class 2 Joseph Laycock, and Corporal Alexander Naggs are feared dead following a helicopter crash during a military training exercise in the Whitsundays. Photo supplied
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