Australia’s Defence Flight Safety Bureau (DFSB) has finalized its Aviation Safety Investigation Report into the fatal MRH-90 Taipan incident that claimed the lives of four servicemen.
The incident occurred on the evening of July 28, 2023, when an Australian Army NH-90 helicopter, known locally as the MRH-90 Taipan, crashed into the sea off Lindeman Island, Queensland, on a night training flight during Exercise Talisman Sabre 23.
In a statement, the DFSB said that the aviation safety investigation was “one of the most complex” it had conducted in recent history.
“The investigation analyzed causal and contributory factors spanning individual/crew actions, local conditions, risk controls and organisational influences in order to make recommendations for safety improvement and prevent re-occurrence of similar events,” the department said.
Families of the crew, crews involved in the mission and personnel within Army Aviation were briefed on the report on April 4, 2025..
The DFSB stated that it will release a public report once all essential debriefings for families, crews and Defence Aviation personnel have been completed. The official report will be delivered in May 2025.
A report by Australian media outlet ABC News said that, according to its sources briefed on the investigation findings, “pilot disorientation in extreme weather conditions” was a crucial factor in the crash.
“The accident, and the report’s findings and recommendations, serves as a catalyst for organizational reflection and to reaffirm our enduring aspiration for a generative safety culture,” the DFSB said.
Meanwhile, in his official statement on the investigation, Australia’s Chief of Army Lt. General Simon Stuart remembered the services of Captain Danniel Lyon, Lieutenant Maxwell Nugent, Warrant Officer Class Two Joseph ‘Phillip’ Laycock and Corporal Alexander Naggs.
With the release of the Aviation Safety Investigation Report today, my thoughts & prayers are with the families, loved ones & teammates of CAPT Danniel Lyon, LT Maxwell Nugent, WO2 Joseph ‘Phillip’ Laycock & CPL Alexander Naggs.
Lest we forget. pic.twitter.com/2C9Lw5Gk1O
— LTGEN Simon Stuart (@ChiefAusArmy) April 3, 2025
Stuart also recognized the “tireless efforts” of those involved with the Aviation Safety Investigation.
“We welcome the conclusion of the Aviation Safety Investigation and note our ongoing support and contribution to the IGADF inquiry, the COMCARE investigation and Queensland Coroner,” Stuart said.
