The report found that the experienced pilot, who had recorded almost 7,000 flying hours since obtaining his licence in 2011, departed Bloodwood Station in the evening of December 7, 2023, but did not arrive as planned at Gorrie Station.

Two days later the wreckage of his destroyed helicopter was discovered about 6km from Gorrie. The pilot was fatally injured in the crash that was deemed "not survivable" and likely occurred from "substantial height and/or at high-speed".

The ATSB investigation report detailed that despite being offered a place to stay overnight at Bloodwood Station, the pilot had taken off after last light to return to his own property. While he did not hold a night visual flight rules rating, the pilot had reportedly completed some night flying training and had arrived home after last light on previous occasions.

"Earlier in the evening, just after (7pm), the caretaker at Gorrie switched the helicopter hangar lights on to illuminate the helicopter landing pad," the report said.

"The caretaker then received a radio call from the pilot at about (7.15pm) to request the activation of the lights, to which the caretaker replied that the lights were already on. This was about the time the helicopter arrived at Bloodwood where the pilot had stopped for a brief social visit. Just prior ..., the owner of Bloodwood advised the pilot that it was getting dark outside and offered (him) a bed for the night. However, (he) declined the offer and departed."

In good weather conditions, it would take an R22 helicopter about 17 minutes from Bloodwood to Gorrie Station.

The ATSB report said two of the pilot's relatives, who were sitting outside for dinner at Wyworrie Station saw the silhouette of the helicopter, with the navigation and strobe lights on, pass in front of their homestead, tracking towards Gorrie.

They both noted the helicopter was tracking towards smoke from bushfires near the southern boundary of Wyworrie.

The report found that while flying past Wyworrie the pilot made another radio call to the caretaker at Gorrie to confirm the lights were on.

"The caretaker checked outside and then confirmed that they were on. At this stage, the caretaker started to become concerned because the pilot sounded a 'little bit disorientated' and the caretaker could not recall the pilot ever previously challenging the status of the lights."

The manager at Larrizona Station, west-north-west of Gorrie, who monitored the same radio frequency as Gorrie and Wyworrie, heard the radio calls between the pilot and the Gorrie caretaker about the lights.

According to the ATSB he said that the second radio call ... was unusual because the clarity of the call on the Larrizona radio indicated the helicopter was likely close to Gorrie and that the pilot should have been able to see the lights.

"At about (8.15pm), the Gorrie caretaker called the pilot's relatives at Wyworrie to ask if the helicopter had landed there. On being advised that the helicopter had not landed at Gorrie, the pilot's family initiated the search and rescue process."

In the evening of December 9 the helicopter wreckage was found about 7.5km south of the Wyworrie homestead and 6.1 km north-north-east of the Gorrie homestead.

"Pilots qualified to only operate under day visual flight rules are at risk of spatial disorientation and loss of control of their aircraft when they operate - intentionally or otherwise - in night conditions, where little to no useable external visual cues can be present," ATSB Director Transport Safety Stuart Macleod said.

"The visual flight rules require pilots to only operate under daylight conditions, and to plan to land 10 minutes before last light, which provides a reliable method for ensuring there are sufficient external visual references available to safely operate."

The ATSB report notes the helicopter was not equipped for night flight. Notably, it did not have an artificial horizon.

"Without the minimum instruments and training, it was unlikely that the pilot would have been able to orientate the helicopter without external visual references," Mr Macleod said.

"It is likely that during the return home flight, the helicopter entered a smoke plume associated with bushfires under dark night conditions, and the pilot became spatially disorientated, resulting in a collision with terrain, uncontrolled, at a high speed."