An Australian pilot and a New Zealander survived a helicopter crash in South Kalimantan on November 8, 2026, while a third crew member died during firefighting operations in Indonesia.
Barito River Crash Details
The Super Puma H225 helicopter went down in the Barito River near Tabatan village in Kuripan district, Barito Kuala regency. The aircraft bore the registration number VH-HGM and belonged to a private company contracted by Indonesia’s National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB) to support aerial firefighting missions.
In footage captured by an amateur video, the helicopter appears to lose control while manoeuvring after scooping up water from the river with a bambi bucket,
said Berton Panjaitan, a spokesman for BNPB, according to The Straits Times. Local residents rushed to the scene by boat to help rescue the survivors.
Acting Head of the BNPB Disaster Data, Information, and Communication Center Berton SP Panjaitan stated that BNPB received an initial report regarding the accident, which occurred on Sunday, November 8, 2026. The Eurocopter EC225LP Super Puma, carrying manufacturer serial number 2878, was captured in video footage losing altitude and nosedives into the river while attempting to collect water.
Basarnas confirmed that a joint search and rescue team recovered the deceased crew member at approximately 6:08 p.m. local time during a diving operation involving four divers. The head of BNPB, Lieutenant General TNI Kristomei Sianturi, received preliminary reports on the accident, while Basarnas officials separately noted that the private helicopter had been performing water-bombing duties.
Crew Members Identified
Authorities identified the two survivors as Australian pilot Michael John Betterridge and New Zealander Hugh Andrew John Page. Panjaitan stated that both men have both been found in good health
and received medical treatment at the Indonesian Air Force Hospital.
A joint search and rescue team recovered the third crew member, Indonesian helicopter landing officer and navigator Yayan Supyansuri, who was killed in the accident. Basarnas confirmed that the final victim was recovered during a diving operation.
Basarnas identified the two survivors as pilot Hugh Pagi and co-pilot and flight engineer Mick Betteridge, describing both as New Zealand nationals, whereas reporting by ABC News relayed that Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade provided consular assistance to an Australian rescued from the crash. Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade confirmed it was providing consular assistance to an Australian rescued safely following the incident.
Broader Firefighting Crisis
The accident occurred during Indonesia’s worst forest and land fire season in more than a decade, driven by drought conditions and a strong El Niño weather pattern. More than 100,000 personnel have deployed to fight fires across Kalimantan, Sumatra, and Papua. Toxic smoke from the blazes has generated over 400,000 acute respiratory infections recorded by the health ministry.
The blazes have destroyed more than 1.9 million hectares according to satellite imagery analysed by Nusantara Atlas using peer-reviewed methodology, representing a 38 per cent increase over the comparable period in 2019, which was the previous worst year on record for fires in Indonesia.
Indonesian authorities have blamed over 20 companies and more than 240 individuals for intentionally or carelessly starting fires, sparking demands for legal action and boycotts. Smoke from the fires has contributed to transboundary haze across Southeast Asia, impacting neighboring nations such as Malaysia, East Timor, and Singapore, and prompting public health concerns.
Foreign governments have provided assistance, including Australia, which deployed aircraft and 20 personnel including pilots and paramedics, alongside a C-130 Hercules and a Cessna Citation aircraft dispatched by the NSW Rural Fire Service. Australia’s ambassador to Indonesia, Roderick Bruce Brazier, stated that support included a Large Air Tanker capable of dropping up to 15,000 litres of water per sortie for up to six sorties daily.
This incident follows a separate crash on November 4 in Central Kalimantan, where an Indonesian Army Mi-17V5 helicopter (registration number HA-5235) went down while collecting water near Tanjung Puting National Park, killing three military personnel out of eight crew members on board. The military successfully retrieved that aircraft’s black box to assist investigators. BNPB announced plans for a comprehensive evaluation of air operations.
This incident is a matter of serious concern for the BNPB, particularly regarding air operations for forest and land fire management
Berton Panjaitan, a spokesman for the national disaster mitigation agency
An upcoming evaluation will assess aircrew fitness and qualifications, weather conditions, water-bombing protocols, the technical readiness of the fleet, and site-specific conditions. Despite these aviation accidents, disaster authorities confirmed that ground-based and overall wildfire response operations would continue across the archipelago.
Earlier coverage: Three Crew Survive Firefighting Helicopter Crash in Barito River
