Aussie helicopter pilots terrified of poorly maintained Sea Kings

Australian Navy pilots say they are terrified of flying the accident-prone Sea King helicopters after the latest air mishap, in which a helicopter on a routine maintenance test flight developed tail rotor control problems, forcing an emergency landing. The Australian Navy's six 30-year-old Sea Kings were grounded following the incident

The incident follows a tragic April 2005 accident, when nine Australian Defence Force members died in a Sea King crash on the Indonesian island of Nias during a humanitarian mission to help earthquake victims.

The crash was caused by faulty maintenance, with the final report revealing the squadron's culture of mismanagement. Pilots say there were procedural failures in servicing the aircraft.

They say the able seaman responsible for maintenance didn't do the job properly; the leading seaman did not check his work and there was no final inspection. In short, they say, there is no quality control.

This is the second time the Sea King squadron has been grounded this year, and the pilots fear for their safety. An Australian defence department representative said the Sea Kings would be grounded until the investigation revealed the cause of the problem.