Mid-air collision in Australia kills four in sightseeing helicopter crash
(MENAFN) Interim findings from an investigation into a mid-air collision between two helicopters in Australia in January have revealed that one of the pilots did not hear a critical radio call before the accident occurred. According to the report, the pilots may not have been able to see each other either. The collision, which took place off the Gold Coast, resulted in the deaths of four people and several others being injured. Both helicopters were operated by Sea World Helicopters and were used for short sightseeing trips.
The report by the Australian transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) provides details of the calls made by Michael James, who was flying the returning helicopter. James stated that he saw passengers boarding the other helicopter as it was preparing to take off. Although he did not see it take off, he thought it would pass behind him. James also mentioned that he did not recall the pilot of the other helicopter making a standard taxiing call, which would have announced their intentions to depart. However, the ATSB said that this did not necessarily mean a taxiing call was not made, and that they would analyse radio activity at the time of the crash in detail.
The report highlighted that footage had emerged of a passenger on one of the helicopters trying to warn a pilot that another aircraft was approaching. However, the report also stated that this did not necessarily imply that the two pilots had seen each other's helicopters. The two aircraft collided at a height of 130ft (39 metres), with the rotor blades of one helicopter smashing into the cabin of the other. The pilot of that helicopter, Ashley Jenkinson, was killed in the crash.
The ATSB is conducting a "complex and comprehensive" investigation to scrutinise operating procedures and identify any underlying safety issues. The helicopters were flying in non-controlled airspace, where pilots use a common radio frequency to communicate with other aircraft. The victims of the crash included a British couple, Ron and Diane Hughes from Cheshire, who were on holiday in Queensland at the time, and Australian woman Vanessa Tadros, 36. Her 10-year-old son Nicholas was among the seriously injured survivors.
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