SYDNEY, April 20 (Xinhua) -- A pilot has been critically injured after a helicopter crashed on a remote property in the Australian state of Queensland on Monday morning.

The Queensland Police Service said the helicopter crashed on a property near the small town of Blackall, over 800 km northwest of Brisbane in the state's livestock farming region, around 9:30 a.m. on Monday.

Emergency services were deployed to the scene, where the pilot was treated for critical injuries before being taken to hospital.

The Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) said in a statement that the Robinson R22 helicopter was observed descending rapidly prior to a collision with terrain.

It said that a team of ATSB investigators would be deployed on Tuesday to gather evidence, recover components from the aircraft and interview any witnesses or personnel involved in the helicopter's operation. ■