Officials involved in an ongoing investigation into the crash of an Australian military helicopter recently recovered human remains and pinpointed parts of the aircraft's cockpit, marking significant progress in the case.
The new findings were discovered on Wednesday by an underwater drone at a depth of 131 feet, nearly a week after four air crew members were declared missing following the crash, which took place during a joint military exercise with the US off the northeast Australian coastline.
Army Lt.-Gen. Greg Bilton, overseeing the operation, stated the debris field points to a catastrophic and high-impact crash with the ocean surface.
"It’s a difficult task but we’ll do our absolute best to find it and, as you know, the black box is critical to helping us to understand what’s actually taken place," Bilton said.
The primary focus of the operation has been on recovering the black box flight data recorder, which is crucial in understanding the circumstances leading to the crash. The device contains vital flight data and cockpit voice recordings that could shed light on the cause of the incident.
Bilton indicated that the prior to the crash communications appeared to be "normal." The official additionally explained that the Australian navy will dispatch specialized equipment to recover both the remains and debris from the wreck.