12/06/2026
On 12 June 1996, eighteen Australian Defence Force members lost their lives in a Black Hawk helicopter collision during counter-terrorism training at the High Range Training Area near Townsville.
Two helicopters from a formation of six collided thirty seconds from the landing zone during a night insertion exercise. One aircraft crashed immediately, while the second made a crash landing before both were consumed by fire.
We honour the fifteen members of the Special Air Service Regiment from Perth and the three members of 5th Aviation Regiment from Townsville who died that night. We acknowledge the twelve personnel who were injured, and the families who continue to carry the weight of this loss.
We recognise the extraordinary courage of those who responded immediately to the scene, who entered burning wreckage repeatedly despite exploding ammunition to rescue the injured and recover the fallen. Their actions under extreme danger prevented further loss of life.
Lest we forget.
