Despite a number of recent fatal accidents involving post-crash fires blamed on the Robinson R44’s vulnerable aluminum fuel tanks, and despite the Australian Civil Aviation Safety Authority’s (CASA) publishing an airworthiness directive demanding replacement with improved flexible bladder versions, many operators have failed to comply. “Up to 100 R44s in Australia are still at an elevated risk of post-impact fire after an accident because their fuel tanks will not have been retrofitted with the bladder tanks by the April 30 [deadline],” said the Australian Transport Safety Bureau’s chief commissioner, Martin Dolan, as the compliance date approached.