Pilot gives evidence for Orroral Valley bushfire inquiry in ACT Coroner's Court

The pilot said he was aware there were personnel on the ground in proximity to the January 2020 fire but his "priority at the time was the safety of the crew and the aircraft".

An inquiry in the ACT Coroner's Court heard in November last year that the fire was ignited after an army helicopter landed because one of the personnel onboard had asked for a "piss break". The helicopter itself also caught fire.

The bushfire tore through about 80 per cent of the Namadgi National Park after it was started by one of the helicopter's lights during a reconnaissance exercise between the Australian Army and the ACT Emergency Services Agency.

It took the crew 45 minutes to alert the Emergency Services Agency of the fire.

All defence personnel onboard have had their names anonymised and suppressed by the court.

Several crew members on the ANGEL21 helicopter gave evidence in court on Tuesday.

A young army private said he was afraid of dying during the "scary" incident.

Another man, who was working as a loadmaster at the time, told the court he had forgotten the light, which could get as hot as 550 degrees, was turned on when the helicopter landed in dry grass.

The court heard he had suggested the crew also stop for a lunch break and a sandwich before he smelt smoke.

The first thing that popped into his head was "oh shit, the searchlight".

The man then tried to stamp out the flames with his foot, but the fire was "too big".

The court heard there were two handheld fire extinguishers on the helicopter but they were only to be used in "an emergency to escape the aircraft".

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One of the helicopter pilots also gave evidence.

In response to questions from counsel assisting Chief Coroner Lorraine Walker, Kylie Nomchong SC, the pilot said the fire was "a consideration that was put second to the welfare of the occupants of the aircraft".

"The crew started experiencing fumes and smoke at the back of the aircraft," he said.

"My priorities and triaging became the state of the aircraft and the occupants as opposed to what was happening with the fire in the valley."

The pilot told the court he was aware of personnel on the ground in proximity to where the fire had ignited but "at the time I was still dealing with an aircraft emergency".

"My priority at the time was the safety of the crew and the aircraft. My priority post that would have been the personnel and the flow-on effects of the fire itself," he said.

The crew on board the helicopter did not report the fire to emergency services until after they had landed at Canberra Airport.

The court heard there were 17 minutes between the helicopter landing in Orroral Valley and then returning to the airport.

During this time, the pilot said he "wasn't thinking about what was happening 10 miles behind me".

Ms Nomchong asked the man if he had delayed reporting the fire to prevent tarnishing the army's reputation. The pilot denied this.

He also denied feeling embarrassed or ashamed about starting the fire.

The inquiry continues.

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