Rescue choppers grounded after deaths

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THE Queensland government has grounded three of its rescue helicopters after two of the same model crashed in China and Brazil, killing eight.

The Department of Community Safety released a statement saying its three AW139s had been grounded for about a week, citing "incidents" in China and South America in recent weeks.

Four people died after a police helicopter, believed to be an AW139, crashed in Beijing on August 17.

And four more died when an AW139 crashed into the Atlantic Ocean off Brazil just two days later, on August 19.

"Current advice is that the overseas incidents appear to be the result of failing tail rotor blades," the department's statement read.

"The three AW139s in the EMQ (Emergency Management Queensland) fleet will be grounded until the aircraft can comply with new maintenance and operation requirements.

"EMQ will work to have the three AW139 helicopters back in the air as soon as possible and will work with the manufacturer to ensure all safety concerns are satisfied before they return to duty.

"It is expected the helicopters will progressively start resuming operations in approximately one week."

The groundings leave just two rescue helicopters in EMQ's fleet, both Bell 412s.

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