Month: August 2022

Categories
Sports

The “staggering” aspect of Crows’ camp and why local media need to be “held to account”

The “staggering” aspect of Crows' camp and why local media need to be “held to account”

The Adelaide football club has been left with a tarnished reputation off the back of details emerging about the infamous 2018 pre-season camp.

However, as well as questions being asked of the club, pressure should be on the South Australian media outlets, according to SEN SA’s Michelangelo Rucci.

Gerard Whateley was the first to question the involvement of the SA media in covering up the details of the Crows’ camp for more than five years.

I have told AFL Nation on Friday night: “They have clearly exploited the advantages of their position in their town. They have been party to a protection racquet and their media has fallen into that and silenced and marginalized any voice that dares go near the truth.”

Rucci acknowledged the strength of those comments and said it was “staggering” that the local media had barely investigated.

The Age published a series of detailed reports on the camp in 2020 but apologized and withdrew them in 2022 following a legal battle with Collective Mind, the business behind the camp.

“They’re incredibly strong remarks, the protection racquet line is quite challenging and it will be challenging to a lot of people in Adelaide, particularly people in senior roles in media organizations who probably put commercial interests ahead of a social responsibility to make sure they were asking the right questions,” he told SEN SA Breakfast.

“Now it is staggering that most of the reports that were done on this camp that have come to be quite accurate and quite meaningful were done in Melbourne and not in Adelaide. I think a lot of people should be asking why.

“Why is it that some media organizations put commercial interests ahead of their responsibility to be news organizations, I’ll be intrigued at how this one goes forward because Gerard has hit on a very strong point here.”

Rucci recalled a similar situation with the West Coast Eagles and the drug-fuelled era, prasing The West Australian journalist Mark Duffield for his reporting.

“There should have been the same thing here in Adelaide (like Duffield with West Coast), it didn’t happen. People should be asking why and they should be challenging some people in media organizations as to whether they are part of a protection racquet that protects the Crows,” he added.

Rucci added it was worth investigating if the club put pressure on media individuals, but said some “need to be held to account”.

“I think the real issue here is they were put under pressure by the Crows to not do the story, or told to lay off because there would be consequences if they continue,” he continued.

“What Gerard said, that people who got close to the story were marginalized, is worth investigating.

“Now comes a time where they need to be held to account for the way they have behaved over the past five years, I’d be surprised if a fair few of them can actually stand up and say, ‘we did our jobs’. ”

Port Adelaide great Kane Cornes agreed with Rucci’s sentiment, adding: “there’s no doubt about that.”

“They accepted the spin, they accepted the Adelaide party line and they didn’t do any digging after they were told Adelaide’s version of events without looking into the other version of it.

“There is a lot of media with egg on their faces after the story and a lot of them are crawling back into a hole, embarrassingly so.”

Eddie Betts, Josh Jenkins and Bryce Gibbs are the three former Crows who have provided disturbing revelations into the camp.





.

Categories
Australia

Gibbons arrive at Wildlife HQ on Sunshine Coast for breeding program

Two gibbons, one blonde, one black and white, sitting on platform

Critically endangered primates could soon be singing a romantic duet after being paired up to strengthen their species’ chances of survival.

The two white-cheeked gibbons arrived on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast a little over a week ago from their former home at a West Australian zoo, and carers said they were settling in nicely.

Male gibbon Tao came over to his new home with female Tian as a breeding pair after two years of planning and preparation at Wildlife HQ zoo.

Animal collections officer Nikki Mikula said watching the gibbons run, play and laze about was an excellent way to spend time.

Fluffy blonde-colored primate sitting on grass
Female white-cheeked gibbon Tian has been moved from Perth to the Sunshine Coast.(Supplied: Sue Tonga/ Wildlife HQ)

“Tao is a very gentle soul — he’s very cute, and nothing like Tian,” she said.

“Tian seems very sassy and certainly gets the message across with what she wants and needs, and bosses him around.”

A black fluffy primate with white sideburns
Tao has been described as a “gentle soul” after arriving at this new enclosure.(Supplied: Sue Tonga/ Wildlife HQ)

Ms Mikula said there were only a few hundred of the distinctive looking creatures left in the wild and the Sunshine Coast zoo was part of the Australasian gibbon breeding program.

A blonde colored gibbon reclining along a tree branch
Female gibbon Tian enjoys relaxing at her new home on the Sunshine Coast.(Supplied: Sue Tonga/ Wildlife HQ)

White-cheeked gibbons are thought to be extinct in their home forests in China and are now only found in parts of Vietnam and Laos.

Ms Mikula said she hoped the couple could make a difference.

“These two have been lined up to make a baby,” Ms Mikula said.

“So hopefully, once they’re settled in and showing all the right behaviours, we’ll see some action happening, and be able to report later in the year that maybe we’ll be expecting a baby.”

The breeding of gibbons is not a discreet process.

She said the first step was to ensure that both gibbons felt safe and healthy in their environment and were developing a strong bond with one another.

loading

But after that, the experts and carers will be listening out for their language of love—an increasingly complicated and noisy serenade that the pair sing as they prepare to mate.

“We’re still yet to hear them sing together — gibbons are pretty well known for their song that they sing once they are bonded,” Ms Miluka said.

“The female starts it off, and then the male continues and it’s a bit of a duet.

“So once they’re fully settled and bonded and know that this is their new home, I have no doubt that we’ll start hearing them across the zoo.”

.

Categories
US

Former US ambassador predicts Griner will be released in ‘two-for-two’ prisoner swap

Former US ambassador predicts Griner will be released in 'two-for-two' prisoner swap

Former US Ambassador to the UN Bill Richardson predicted Sunday that US citizens Paul Whelan and Brittney Griner, who are imprisoned in Russia, will be freed in a “two-for-two” prisoner swap with Moscow.

“I’m optimistic. I think she’s going to be free,” Richardson said of WNBA star Griner on ABC’s “This Week.”

“There’s gonna be a prisoner swap, though, and I think it’ll be two-for-two, involving Paul Whelan. We can’t forget him.”

Griner was sentenced last week to nine years in a penal colony for drug possession and smuggling, after pleading guilty to drug possession charges. Whelan, a former US Marine, is three years into a 16-year sentence on spying charges, which he and the US deny.

Richardson dodged questions about whether educator Marc Fogel, who is facing 14 years for drug possession and smuggling, would also be included in swap talks.

“All of these that are wrongfully detained need to come home,” Richardson said.

He added that his foundation, The Richardson Center, is involved in talks about the release of three other Americans held by Russia, but that he was a “catalyst” for what would ultimately be a government-to-government agreement.

The Biden administration reportedly floated a potential prisoner swap last month in which Griner and Whelan would be released in exchange for convicted Russian arms trafficker Viktor Bout. Officials have publicly confirmed that they offered an exchange but have not explicitly said if it involved Bout.

President Biden on Friday said he’s “hopeful” about Griner’s situation, though White House officials declined to say if there were specific developments that led him to feel that way.

Richardson on Sunday commended Biden for considering the exchange with Bout, though he said “I would have done it quietly.”

“Our objective should be, despite prisoner exchanges that are not popular, to bring American hostages home. Some of these prisoner exchanges are not good. The optics are not good. But we have to do it sometimes,” he said.

.

Categories
Technology

Never Forget the Holden Hurricane, the Australian Concept Coupé That Went No Further

Never Forget the Holden Hurricane, the Australian Concept Coupé That Went No Further

I recently took a trip to the National Motor Museum in Birdwood, South Australia, where the museum is currently displaying a Holden exhibition. When I got there, I knew exactly what I wanted to see: the 1969 Holden Hurricane.

Now, this isn’t technically the original Holden Hurricane, nor is it the first time we’re writing about it. Back in 2011, Gizmodo Australia ran a story on the restoration of the Holden Hurricane, based on the original designs of the car and the only model ever constructed.

The Hurricane was not a car built for production. It was a concept car, designed to rival the high-tech sports cars of the day. With that in mind, it was packed with sci-fi gadgets like a navigation system and a rear vision camera.

The navigation system was called “Pathfinder”. The concept involved magnetic signals built into the road to direct the driver. Of course, this navigation system was never developed and would be made redundant with the creation of GPS technology.

Upon restoration, it was put on display at the Royal Exhibition Building in Melbourne, and at the time of the original Gizmodo Australia article, there was no word on when the resurrected car would be put back on public display.

Well, 11 years later, I’m here to tell you that the Holden Hurricane is on display at the National Motor Museum, where it has resided since 2013.

Were the Holden Hurricane to be put into production, it would have been the only mid-engine Holden to ever be built. That engine would have been a 4.2 liter, 253 cubic inch Holden V8, and the car would have packed a four-speed manual transaxle.

The engine went on to have a greater legacy than the car itself and was later built into production-ready Holden vehicles. The designer of the Hurricane remains a mystery.

It would have also been one of the most beautiful Holden vehicles ever built, with the top of the car electrically lifting up so that passengers could enter or exit. A door would have also likely worked, but who doesn’t love a concept car that’s a bit extra?

holden hurricane
Image: Zachariah Kelly/Gizmodo Australia

But no, the Hurricane was designed to be a spectacle and a trade show gimmick. Rear-view cameras and navigation systems wouldn’t come for another 40 years on production model Holdens as the technology developed.

If you’re headed to South Australia, I couldn’t recommend the National Motor Museum enough. It’s where I also spotted the Telstra phone car that time forgot.

If you’d like to see more photos of the glorious Holden Hurricane, Supercars has a great gallery.

Long live the Holden Hurricane.

Categories
Sports

NRL 2022, NRL Fantasy Winners and Losers from Round 21, Cameron Murray, Cameron Munster, Nicho Hynes, Latrell Mitchell updates

NRL 2022, NRL Fantasy Winners and Losers from Round 21, Cameron Murray, Cameron Munster, Nicho Hynes, Latrell Mitchell updates

It was a pair of Cameron’s that topped the charts in Round 21 with Munster and Murray starring for Fantasy coaches while Nicho Hynes and Latrell Mitchell once again produced the goods.

It wasn’t all good news, however, with injuries causing havoc this week and into the future while several highly-owned players might be on the chopping block for the run home as coaches look to close the gap on their league opponents.

Round 21 Winners

Cameron Munster’s move back to fullback proved to be a masterstroke for the Storm and Fantasy coaches alike, with the Melbourne playmaker posting a hat-trick en route to 93 points in his side’s win over the Titans.

Munster’s effort was only bettered by that of Rabbitohs lock Cameron Murraywho had a hand in three tries early on to go with his usual contributions in attack and defense — topping the charts with 94 points in his side’s win over the Warriors.

Murray wasn’t the only Rabbitoh to star on the Sunshine Coast, with Latrell Mitchell (84), Keaon Koloamatangi (62), Damian Cook (59) and Tevita Tatola (58) all scoring well—the latter of whom benefited from his second try in as many weeks.



Latrell breathes fire

The most highly-owned player in the game, niche hynes once again delivered for coaches with 89 points in Cronulla’s win over the Dragons — a great result for the majority of coaches who captained the Sharks star. And With Wests Tigers, Manly, Canterbury and Newcastle on the schedule to finish the year, Hynes could well be the most captained player for every remaining game week.



Hynes shines in local derby

Elsewhere, Dylan Brown (81) starred to lead the Mitchell Moses-less Eels to victory over the Sea Eagles while teammate Clint Gutherson (69) also scored well.

Angus Crichton topped the Roosters charts with 79 points in the Tricolours’ win over Brisbane, while Joe Ofahengaue was the best performer of the round in a losing side, churning out 74 points as Wests Tigers went down to the Knights.



Brown’s got all the right moves

Round 21 Losers

Connor Tracey was on the wrong end of a nasty tackle from Tariq Sims and was stretched off after scoring zero points — the lowest score of the round along with Raiders forward Ryan Sutton who was also forced off with a head knock.

wayde egan‘s move into five-eighth backfired for the Warriors as he finished with 10 points while Murray Taulagi continues to struggle post Origin despite the Cowboys’ win streak — he also managed just 10 points against the Bulldogs.

Aaron Booth was looming as a popular cheapie but is now out for the season after suffering a serious knee injury on the way to 11 points; Tolu Koula only scored 19 points despite bagging himself a try; while Talatau Amone and billy walters only managed 20 points each in their side’s respective defeats.



Koula flies high to get Manly a try

Round 21 Team of the Week

  1. Niche Hynes (Sharks) — 89 points
  2. Latrell Mitchell (Rabbitohs) — 84 points
  3. Will Penisini (Eels) — 61 points
  4. Matt Burton (Bulldogs) — 60 points
  5. Clint Gutherson (Eels) — 69 points
  6. Cameron Munster (Storm)—93 points
  7. Dylan Brown (Eels)—81 points
  8. Joe Ofahengaue (Wests Tigers) — 74 points
  9. Harry Grant (Storm)—67 points
  10. Nat Butcher (Roosters)—66 points
  11. Angus Crichton (Roosters) — 79 points
  12. Shaun Lane (Eels) — 67 points
  13. Cameron Murray (Rabbitohs)—94 points
  14. James Tedesco (Roosters)—68 points
  15. Dylan Edwards (Panthers)—67 points
  16. Kelma Tuilagi (Wests Tigers) — 67 points
  17. Isaah Yeo (Panthers) — 65 points
Categories
Australia

Perth-based ADF member Caleb Horner accused of teen assault danced

Perth-based ADF member Caleb Horner accused of teen assault danced

An Australian Defense Force member accused of raping a teenage boy has been released on bail.

Perth-based Caleb Horner, 36, was granted the application in the County Court in Melbourne on Monday.

He is due to stand trial next year after pleading not guilty to charges including rape, sexual penetration of a child under 16, sexual assault of a child under 16 and grooming.

ADF member Caleb Horner has been extradited to Victoria to face a string of serious child sex-related charges
Camera IconPolice say Caleb Horner first contacted his alleged victim when the boy was 12-years-old. Credit: unknown/Facebook

Police allege Horner first contacted a 12-year-old boy on Instagram in 2018 before reconnecting with him online two years later.

The 36-year-old is accused of grooming the boy and sexually assaulting him between January and March 2020.

Horner was arrested in November last year and has been in custody for the past 270 days.

He allegedly admitted to police that he spoke to the boy, knew the teen’s age and shared photos with him.

In her reasons for granting bail, County Court Judge Fiona Todd noted Horner demonstrated compelling reasons as he had no prior convictions, no previous court orders and a stable address.

ADF member Caleb Horner has been extradited to Victoria to face a string of serious child sex-related charges
Camera IconCaleb Horner was born and raised in Melbourne but had been living in Perth before he was extradited to face child sex charges Credit: unknown/Instagram

Horner was born and raised in Melbourne, Judge Todd said, with his only links to Western Australia being his ADF posting and his partner.

The 36-year-old, who is suspended from the ADF without pay, had all of his family in Victoria so he was less of a flight risk, the judge noted.

She said she was concerned about the risk of Horner approaching young boys, noting evidence that the alleged victim was worried about being contacted by the accused online.

But Judge Todd said she felt any risk could be mitigated through a number of bail conditions.

ADF member Caleb Horner has been extradited to Victoria to face a string of serious child sex-related charges
Camera IconCaleb Horner has been granted bail provided he complies with a series of conditions, including not contacting his alleged victim. Credit: unknown/Facebook

Horner was granted bail on conditions including he only uses one electronic device, does not use social media sites and does not approach any child under the age of 16.

He is also expected to hand over his phone to police upon request and not leave the state of Victoria.

Horner is due to return to court next month.

.

Categories
US

Michigan AG requests special prosecutor to investigate opponent for voting machine access

Michigan AG requests special prosecutor to investigate opponent for voting machine access

Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel (D) on Friday requested a special prosecutor investigate her opponent’s alleged involvement in a group that gained unauthorized access to voting machines.

Politico published a petition from Nessel’s office calling for the special prosecutor after her investigation into the alleged scheme found ties to Matthew DePerno, the presumptive Republican nominee for Michigan attorney general, who is endorsed by former President Trump.

“When this investigation began there was not a conflict of interest,” the petition states. “However, during the course of the investigation, facts were developed that DePerno was one of the prime instigators of the conspiracy.”

The Hill has reached out to Nessel’s office and the Michigan Prosecuting Attorneys Coordinating Council, the group that received the petition, for comment.

Nessel’s investigation began after a request in February from Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson, who said she received reports that at least one unnamed third party was able to “gain inappropriate access” to voting machines in Richfield Township and Roscommon County.

Reuters on Sunday first publicly revealed DePerno’s alleged ties in Nessel’s investigation, and Politico moments later reported on her office’s request for a special prosecutor.

Reuters cited court documents alleging DePerno led a team that gained unauthorized access to voting machines in Richfield Township.

In its petition, Nessel’s office said the special prosecutor should review charges like willfully damaging a voting machine and fraudulent access to a computer system.

Trump in September endorsed DePerno, who is a vocal supporter of the former president’s unfounded claims of election fraud.

Tyson Shepard, DePerno’s campaign manager, in a statement called Nessel’s actions “unethical.”

“Dana Nessel has a history of targeting and persecuting her political enemies,” Shepard said.

“At the same time she has refused to prosecute any crime involving Democrats including the deaths resulting from the nursing home COVID scandal,” he added.

Republican state lawmakers have grilled Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s (D) administration for her executive order early in the pandemic that placed seniors recovering from COVID in dedicated isolation wings in nursing homes, arguing the policy led to more deaths.

.

Categories
Technology

Samsung Unpacked: How to Watch the Rumored Galaxy Z Fold & Flip 4 Reveal

Samsung Unpacked Is 3 Days Away. Here's How to Watch It Live

what’s happening

Samsung Unpacked will livestream on Aug. 10, likely detailing the company’s next line of foldable phones.

why it matters

Samsung will be reaching its fourth generation of foldable phones, which started with the Galaxy Z Fold in 2019.

what’s next

As the foldable phone space grows, both the rumored Z Fold 4 and Z Flip 4 could reveal features that we’ll see in foldable phones from other companies in the next year, such as rumored devices from Motorola and Google.

Samsung’s August 2022 Unpacked is only a couple days away. The event, which is scheduled for Wednesday, Aug. 10, will likely feature upcoming models of the Galaxy Z Fold and the Z Flip. the rumored Galaxy ZFold 4 and Z-Flip 4 would be successors to the $1,800Z-Fold 3 and the $1,000 ZFlip 3and Samsung’s own promotional art for the event showingcasing a Z Flip phone seems to tease new foldable phones that are on the way.

In addition to folding phones, Samsung might also provide a look at the future of its Galaxy Watch line, as Samsung continues its collaboration with Google on the newest version of the Wear OS operating system. This version of Wear OS — which will eventually incorporate features from Google’s Fitbit — is currently on last year’s Galaxy Watch 4. Now that it’s been a year since that watch debuted, Samsung might have a new Galaxy Watch 5 ready for 2022 alongside new details about Wear OS. Some announcements revealed by Samsung could even end up in Google’s own Pixel Watch later this year.

Samsung Unpacked will take place as a livestream starting at 6 am PT (9 am ET) on Aug. 10, with the company planning to broadcast on Samsung’s YouTube channel, Samsung.com and Samsung’s Newsroom. As the event gets closer, we’ll embed the livestream into this post.

CNET will also hold live coverage including a pre- and post-show, spotlighting the latest reveals in Samsung’s Galaxy lineup. That live event will stream on CNET’s YouTube channel, and will be accompanied by reporting from CNET staff.

Samsung’s next Unpacked event comes as phones including the latest Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Plus Gen 1 chip hit the market, including the OnePlus 10Tthe asus zenfone 9 and the Red Magic 7S Pro. It’s also arriving about a month before Apple is expected to reveal its 2022 iPhone lineup, expected to coincide with the iPhone 14 and the public release of iOS 16.

Categories
Sports

Peter Bol silver in 800m, Brooke Buschkuehl silver in long jump as Australia wins track and field

Peter Bol silver in 800m, Brooke Buschkuehl silver in long jump as Australia wins track and field

“I’m obviously over the moon, although it is not the gold, the silver makes me just as proud. It’s my third-furthest jump ever, I’m so stoked,” Buschkuehl said.

“There have been so many times where I have really thought deeply about giving up and whether it was worth continuing on, I was lacking support from a footwear and apparel sponsor so that has sort of been something that has really made me question my worth and question whether I am serving enough of it.

loading

“I just had to push all those thoughts to the side and just keep grinding through all the tough times. I feel like there have been more days that I have been in tears this year than I have been happy and smiling so it just means so much to have this silver medal around my neck. It makes the hard times really worthwhile.”

Meanwhile Caldwell, who was controversially overlooked for the team for the recent world championships despite having a qualifying time and winning the national title – prerequisites that most in the sport thought automatically qualified her for the team – came from behind to grab bronze.

Caldwell was superb in the last stages of the race to find a gear and a gap to chase Scottish champion Laura Muir

loading

“Honestly I don’t know where that came from, 1500’s are brutal, and I just think I saw those girls in front and I found that extra gear and to come from behind, it meant so much to me.

She said she didn’t have a point to prove after missing the team for worlds, but after the surprise of missing that team put her focus on the Commonwealth Games.

“I think it meant I was able to put all the eggs in this basket and I have had this in my mind for some time now and I have had time to train and its given me this extra bit of hunger and it means so much. Certainly I have had a lot of drive and the most amazing team behind me. I can’t ask for much more than a medal.

“I just wanted to do this for my team and my coach Gavin Burren. They all backed me for so much and running is so much more than making certain teams and honestly I don’t think I could put anything on top of this right now.

“Things like that [missing the team] are going to burn at the start, but it’s part of the sport. You have got to take it. It’s no discredit to the other girls, whoever gets selected, all of these girls are amazing athletes.”

News, results and expert analysis from the weekend of sport sent every Monday. Sign up for our Sport newsletter.

Categories
Australia

Helicopter sighted by NSW police about an hour before Snowy Mountains crash, report reveals

Helicopter sighted by NSW police about an hour before Snowy Mountains crash, report reveals

An initial search to find a helicopter that later crashed in the New South Wales Snowy Mountains was called off after the pilot made contact with authorities, a preliminary report has been found.

The Bell 206 Longranger L-4 was one of seven helicopters traveling on a flying tour from Canberra to Mangalore in Victoria on April 3, when it crashed killing the pilot and passenger.

The helicopter’s pilot was high-profile businessman and Barbeques Galore company director Peter Richard Woodland, 75, and the passenger was his 64-year-old partner.

The helicopter had earlier become separated from the group, with a preliminary report from the Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) revealing an initial search had been called off.

“During their flights, the occupants of the other helicopters in the tour encountered deteriorating cloud and visibility conditions and landed on a property near Wee Jasper,” the report stated.

“When [the Longranger] did not arrive, authorities were notified and commenced a search for the helicopter.”

A map showing a helicopter flight path from Canberra to Long Plain road
The helicopters departed from Majura, north of Canberra, on April 3.(Supplied: ATSB website)

Flight path changes

The organizer of the flying tour had initially recommended that the flights track north of the planned route due to the weather conditions and refuel at Wagga Wagga.

The report revealed that Mr Woodland had instead continued further south before landing safely near Long Plain Road in the Brindabella region about 11:30am.

“With the help of a passing motorist, the pilot of the Longranger was able to reach mobile reception and contact other members of the tour group,” ATSB Transport Safety director Stuart Macleod said.

“[Then] the search was called off.”

Recorded flight data showed the Longranger helicopter took off again nearly three-and-a half hours later at 2:53pm.

A map showing a flight path of a helicopter before a crash
The helicopter’s flight path from Long Plain Rd to the accident site.(Supplied: ATSB website)

“Police officers dispatched to locate the helicopter as part of the earlier search arrived at the site just after it took off,” Mr Macleod said.

“[They] observed the helicopter depart to the south at a low level, in overcast conditions with low cloud and light rain.”

Less than an hour later, the helicopter had crashed, claiming the lives of Mr Woodland and his partner.

Flight data revealed

Recorded flight data showed the helicopter initially progressed south at an altitude of less than 500 feet to follow lower lying terrain.

At 3:04pm, the helicopter turned north-west and started on a direct path towards Tumut.

But two minutes later it encountered higher terrain and was forced to turn around and head south again.

At 3:17pm, the helicopter turned north and started to climb to 7,000ft above sea level.

“After reaching 7,400ft, the helicopter commenced a steep left-descending turn,” the report stated.

“During the turn, the ground speed increased to 134 knots and the descent rate exceeded 3,800ft per minute.

“At 3:26pm, the aircraft impacted terrain at an elevation of 4,501ft.”

This impact destroyed the helicopter and killed both occupants.

When the helicopter failed to arrive at Mangalore as expected on Monday morning, April 4, a second search commenced.

Emergency services did not find the wreckage from the crash in Kosciuszko National Park until 11:55pm that day.

A hill with investigators searching the grass
The wreckage was found near Kiandra in the NSW Snowy Mountains.(ABC Riverina: Shannon Corvo)

The report showed that the engine was still running when the crash occurred.

“On-site examination indicated that the engine was providing power at impact,” the report said.

“There was no evidence of an in-flight break-up or a pre-existing defect with the drive train or flight controls.”

The helicopter collided with terrain between two rock formations in an area of ​​tussock grass near Kiandra.

Pilot with 837 flying hours

Mr Woodland had “about 837 hours of aeronautical experience” at the time of the crash, according to the report.

He owned the Longranger helicopter involved in the incident, and also held a private pilot license.

“The pilot’s total flying experience on the Bell 206 was about 532 hours of which about 355 were in the L-4 variant,” the report stated.

“And the remainder [was] in the B-3 variant.”

A bald man wearing a white shirt
Peter Woodland was a high-profile Sydney businessman.

Mr Woodland was from Terrey Hills in the northern suburbs of Sydney and was also the managing director at Interfab, a sheet-metal manufacturer.

The ATSB will continue the investigation into the incident and a final report will be released once it concludes.

“Should a critical safety issue be identified during the course of the investigation, the ATSB will immediately notify relevant parties so appropriate and timely safety action can be taken,” the report said.

A police van on a highway in the snowy mountains
The crash occurred on April 3.(ABC Riverina: Shannon Corvo)

.