This was published 7 years ago
Pilot alive but injured after helicopter crash in far north Queensland
By Amy Mitchell-Whittington
A pilot survived after his helicopter crashed in far north Queensland thanks to a distress beacon being released on impact.
The Australian Maritime Safety Authority detected a distress beacon from a single engine Robinson R44 helicopter about noon on Friday.
A fixed wing rescue aircraft was tasked to an area about 50 kilometres west of Port Douglas near the Daintree, which found the helicopter wreckage about 2.30pm. A rescue helicopter arrived just after 3pm where the pilot, the sole occupant, was found alive but injured.
Paramedics treated a man in his 40s for a moderate head injury and laceration to his forehead. He was transported in a stable condition to Cairns Base Hospital.
An Australian Search and Rescue spokesperson said the pilot was fortunate to have had a distress beacon hooked up to the MEOSAR satellite system which helped search teams find him quickly.
His emergency locator transmitter automatically engaged on the impact of the crash and it sent signals to satellites in the MEOSAR system to generate his exact location over the next two hours.
with AAP