Helicopter crash at Hobart Airport

Police say a person has died and another is in a critical condition following a helicopter crash at Hobart Airport.
Two people were on board when the helicopter, a single-engine AS350BA Squirrel, crashed earlier on this evening.
The helicopter is believed to be operated by Rotorlift and performs aerial duties for the state’s emergency services.
"A team of two Transport Safety Investigators from Brisbane and Canberra will travel to the site shortly to begin their investigation," the bureau said in a statement.
A Virgin Australia flight from Melbourne has been diverted to Launceston and passengers will then be transported by bus to Hobart.
Passengers scheduled for a later flight from Hobart tonight will be driven to Launceston and will fly from there.
A witness said the helicopter came in from the Pittwater area, and was flying about tree height before performing a loop and descending into a nose dive. “There was a puff of smoke,” she said.
Another witness said the incident appeared to have happened around 400-500m from the airport terminal. He said passengers views of the area where the crash had occurred were obscured by a parked aircraft.
A spokesman for Hobart Airport said there was debris on the runway and as a result the airport was not operational.
“We will advise when we know more,” he said.
The last flight to land at Hobart Airport was 5.40pm and no flights appear to have departed since 5.05pm.
Flights to and from the airport have been cancelled while the airport remains closed.




Aircraft Details are:
Operator: Rotorlift Aviation
Aircraft Type: Aerospatiale AS350BA Squirrel Helicopter
Engines: Turbomeca Arriel 1
Registration: VH-BAA
Serial Number: 2015
Flight Number:
First Flight: