The tranquillity of a farm near Dubbo was shattered yesterday when a helicopter carrying three people plunged into a paddock, killing two men and seriously injuring a Dubbo woman.
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In the State's third accident within three months involving a helicopter carrying out locust control work, the chopper came down after clipping powerlines just before 3pm.
The dead men were trapped in the wreckage when paramedics arrived at the property, located about 70 kilometres from Dubbo and 12 kilometres west of Dunedoo.
The 23-year-old Dubbo woman was airlifted to Dubbo Base Hospital and last night was in a serious but stable condition with multiple fractures to her legs, a fractured skull, facial and abdominal injuries.
A police officer at the scene said it was believed the woman was outside the aircraft when emergency crews arrived.
One of the dead men and the woman worked for the Rural Lands Protection Board and the Bell 206 helicopter was conducting locust control work when it came down on a property owned by the Cox family.
"There was a pilot and two others in the helicopter," Colleen Cox said.
"They were spotting locusts.
"They hit powerlines and the chopper came down on its side."
A neighbour heard the crash and an ambulance was quickly on the scene, but the two men could not be saved.
Mrs Cox said her 32-year-old son Garry had been in the helicopter moments before it crashed.
"They'd done one little inspection (for locusts) and had gone about 50 metres and were going to put (the helicopter) down again and that's when it hit the powerlines," she said.
Two sets of powerlines intersected to form a T at the point where the helicopter crashed, Mrs Cox said.
The community was upset that the locust plague had led to such a tragedy, she said.
"Everyone's pretty well shaken up. It's pretty traumatic."
The chopper's tail was twisted and crumpled, while the rotor blades were torn off and the main structure severely damaged. The perspex windscreen was smashed and at least one door had been ripped away.
Inspector Glenn Crompton of the Mudgee local area command said weather conditions had been favourable - there was a moderate wind, a mostly clear sky and it was otherwise fine.
Mr Crompton acknowledged the practice of surveying and spraying locusts could be "enormously dangerous".
He said the risk was increased at this time of year when there were more helicopters and there was more "activity in the air" than usual.
The area was cordoned off as a crime scene shortly after the female passenger was stabilised and taken by CareFlight helicopter to hospital and crime scene investigators began their search of the wreckage.
The Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) will also conduct an on-site investigation into the crash.
The ATSB is already investigating a similar crash at Mudgee and another near Trundle.
ATSB spokesman Alan Stray said air safety recommendations may be made to the Department of Primary Industries for helicopter crews carrying out locust control work.
State primary industries minister Ian Macdonald paid tribute to the helicopter pilot and RLPB staff member who were killed in the accident.
"The loss of these two lives is a devastating blow to their families, colleagues and local communities," he said.
As a mark of respect, all aircraft involved in locust control around the State will be stood down for the day today.