ABC helicopter crash that killed Paul Lockyer blamed on pilot disorientation Pilot Gary Ticehurst and journalist Paul Lockyer were killed in the helicopter crash at Lake Eyre. Photo: ABC Television The pilot of an ABC helicopter which crashed two years ago, killing three people including veteran journalist Paul Lockyer, became disoriented shortly after take-off, air-safety investigators have found. As a result of the accident in South Australia, the Civil Aviation Safety Bureau now requires helicopters that carry passengers at night to be fitted with an autopilot or have two pilots in control. The ABC has also placed a temporary ban on night-time flying in helicopters. The scene of the helicopter crash near Lake Eyre. Mr Lockyer, cameraman John Bean and pilot Gary Ticehurst died when their helicopter crashed on a dark night near Lake Eyre on August 18, 2011. The ABC crew had taken off from an island in the Cooper Creek inlet, about 145 kilometres north of Marree, for a 30-minute flight to a station for a planned overnight stay. They were filming Lake Eyre in flood for an ABC documentary. In a report released today, the Australian Transport Safety Bureau found that the pilot had become "spatially disorientated" after making a right turn at 1500 feet. ABC cameraman John Bean was killed in the crash. Photo: contributed by ABC The investigators said the pilot had probably selected an incorrect destination on one or both of the helicopter's global positioning systems before he took off. Other factors contributing to the pilot's disorientation included the dark night, high workload from establishing the helicopter in cruise flight, the lack of an autopilot and his limited recent night-flying experience. Witnesses recalled seeing the twin-engine helicopter leave the island in the Cooper Creek inlet in an easterly and then a north-easterly direction, which was contrary to what they had expected. One witness tried to radio the helicopter to query their north-easterly flight path but did not get a response. Shortly afterwards, a number of people saw the helicopter spiral downwards, followed by a fireball when it hit the ground. The crash left a trail of wreckage 60 metres long. The safety bureau has advised pilots considering night flights under the so-called visual flight rules to "systematically assess the potential for the flight to encounter dark-night conditions by reviewing weather conditions, celestial illumination and available terrain lighting." In the event that dark-night conditions occur, the bureau said flights should be made under the so-called "instrument flight rules." Night-time flight is regarded as more difficult than during the day because there are fewer visual clues for pilots. In an email to staff today, ABC managing director Mark Scott said the ABC would act on recommendations from the air-safety authorities for clearer standards for helicopter flights. The ABC would not operate night-time flights until it had updated its systems in response to the recommendations. "Our thoughts then were first and foremost with the families, friends and colleagues of John, Paul and Gary," he said in the email. While the ATSB report is a necessary part of the follow-up process, it does serve as a tragic reminder of their painful loss in the desert sands near Lake Eyre.