How two skilled pilots did not see one another earlier than colliding mid-air above a crowded theme park and killing 4 folks will type the idea of a significant investigation into Monday’s helicopter tragedy at SeaWorld on the Gold Coast.
Sea World Helicopters chief pilot Ash Jenkinson, 40, and three passengers had been killed after their Eurocopter EC130 took off from the park’s helipad and seconds later hit an incoming EC130 – shearing off it is major and tail rotors and sending it plunging 30 metres to a sandbank under the place it crashed the wrong way up.
Three different passengers on board Mr Jenkinson’s chopper – understood to be a lady and two kids – had been rushed to hospital in severe circumstances. The opposite plane managed to stablise and land upright inflicting solely minor accidents regardless of the cockpit being smashed in and people on board showered in glass.
One of many tons of of holidaymakers who witnessed the horror unfold mentioned she had a panic assault after realising she and her husband together with their daughter, 8, had been subsequent in line to board the doomed helicopter.
The 2 helicopters concerned within the collision could be seen on the sandbank – with one plummeting into the sand and the opposite touchdown upright
Ash Jenkinson (pictured) was behind the controls of the helicopter which nosedived into the sandbar
‘We’re up from Sydney for a vacation on the Gold Coast and we spent the day at Sea World and thought we’d e book in for a pleasure flight,’ the girl, who requested to not be named, advised The Every day Telegraph.
‘We watched the helicopter load with the folks. There was the pilot and two aged folks within the entrance, a girl and a little bit boy subsequent to her within the again, and one other particular person subsequent to them.
‘They buckled everybody up, the whole lot was regular, everybody was excited, then we watched all of it occur.’
Air security specialists advised Every day Mail Australia that an plane already within the air would sometimes give solution to a rising plane – with Australia Transport Security Bureau now analyzing whether or not a communication error, system malfunction or another failure led to the 2 helicopters colliding.
Footage shot from holidaymakers on the bottom exhibits each helicopters showing to keep up a straight flightpath earlier than the collision with neither showing to change course earlier than influence.
Circumstances appeared perfect with clear afternoon skies when the collision occurred.
Sea World Helicopters has been working on the web site for about three a long time.
Its early days had been marked by an eerily related tragedy when in 1991 a pleasure flight aboard a Bell Lengthy Ranger plummeted into South Stradbroke Island off the Gold Coast and burst into flames, killing all seven folks on board.
After a prolonged investigation by the Bureau of Air Security because it was then recognized, it was decided pilot Glenn Wells, 27, had collapsed on the controls.
The helicopter fleet has undergone a number of upgrades since then, being changed with Eurocopter AS350 ‘Squirrel’ plane and the EC130s to cater for the as much as 600 pleasure flight clients a day – together with an growth to the bottom amenities – making it the most important privately owned heliport in Australia.
The helicopters are fitted with Spidertracks GPS finding techniques, that are designed to alert all pilots within the neighborhood of the placement of different plane.
‘It is a simple system to make use of and the monitoring system in comparison with the whole lot else may be very dependable and correct.’ Mr Jenkinson mentioned in an interview for the corporate in 2021.
He’s being remembered as a ‘legend’ and ‘hero’ who leaves behind a spouse, younger son and members of his shut household in addition to tons of of buddies who knew the favored Gold Coast native as ‘Jenko’.
Good friend Ritchie Gregg recounted Mr Jenkinson volunteered to assist ship help to the victims of the 2022 NSW and Queensland floods.
‘This may all the time be the spotlight of my life and simply considered one of your legacies after we helped flood folks. Cheers,’ Mr Gregg wrote to Fb.
‘My heartfelt condolences to your loved ones. Blue skies my pal.’ one other pal Chris Lea wrote.
4 individuals are lifeless after two helicopters collided in mid-air close to Sea World on the Gold Coast theme park as horrified holidaymakers watched on
Images present emergency staff rush to assist these on board the 2 Sea World helicopters
Pictured: Paramedics and police on the scene on Monday afternoon
Video from the Sea World helipad on Monday exhibits a holidaymaker and his younger son watching the helicopter raise after which inside seconds cross into the trail of the second plane – with the kid asking: ‘Is he going to crash?’.
Jetski riders and pleasure boaters close by raced to the crash scene – simply metres from the closely crowded theme park and marina – and known as emergency providers as they frantically tried to assist these contained in the wreckage.
Witnesses advised Every day Mail Australia one of many helicopters was coming in to land when it clipped the rotor of the opposite plane that was taking off.
Emma Burch, one other witness, had the identical account of how the accident unfolded.
Ash Jenkinson (pictured along with his spouse) was the chief pilot for Sea World Helicopters and has been remembered as a ‘legend’ by his many buddies
‘From what we noticed one was taking off, the opposite touchdown. They clipped one another,’ she mentioned.
‘Large bang heard proper by the Broadwater vacationer park then the swooshing because the one which misplaced management hit the water and broke aside.
‘It is simply terrible. Everyone seems to be in shock.’
One of many helicopters crashed into the sandbar, leaving wreckage throughout the shore with the primary rotor embedded within the sand far from the remainder of the wreck.
The opposite helicopter managed to land on the sandbar, with six folks on board, a few of whom suffered non-life threatening accidents, largely from the shattered glass.
Marine Rescue raced to the sandbar, seen in entrance of 1 helicopter with a Sea World emblem
A younger little one was transported from the crash web site by boat after which transferred to the RACQ Lifeflight helicopter and rushed to hospital in a severe situation
Pictured: Lifeguards and law enforcement officials on board considered one of a number of vessels that raced to the scene
Operators of the theme park issued a press release within the aftermath of the tragedy. expressing ‘shock and deepest sympathy for these concerned’.
‘We and your entire flying neighborhood are devastated by what has occurred and our honest condolences go to all these concerned and particularly the family members and household of the deceased,’ the assertion mentioned.
‘We’re cooperating with all of the authorities together with the Australian Transport Security Bureau (ATSB) and the Queensland Police. As it’s now a police investigation we can’t present any additional info at this stage.’
Paramedics transported one affected person to a ready helicopter to be airlifted to hospital
The entrance of the Sea World helicopter that remained nonetheless upright sustained heavy injury
It’s understood the helicopter taking off clipped one other helicopter above after which nosedived into the sand
Witnesses expressed their shock on the mid-air collision.
‘I heard a bang and noticed smoke billowing from one of many choppers. It was smoking and wobbling to the bottom,’ one witness advised Every day Mail Australia.
‘One particular person was asking whether or not it was a part of the Sea World present.’
A distraught lady and little one had been seen on the helipad whereas a part of the theme park was shut down so patrons could not look out on the crash web site.
Others mentioned watching the accident unfold was ‘past horrible’.
‘My daughter noticed them. Individuals on each. Landed on the sand not in SeaWorld thank goodness. Simply praying for all,’ one mentioned.
‘We heard a loud noise and noticed bits of particles flying,’ one other wrote on-line.
Ash Jenkinson is pictured in February 2022, delivering important provides to communities reduce off by floods
Gold Coast resident Tor Kumpel was swimming within the broadwater along with his spouse when he witnessed the collision simply after one helicopter took off.
‘It was just one helicopter that crashed. The one which was arising. It was horrific to see,’ he advised the Gold Coast Bulletin.
‘The (pilot) who was within the different one which landed. They deserve a medal. It took a bit to regular however they did it.’
Blue Mountains resident Amii McDermot, 42, was in line at Sea World’s Vortex trip when she noticed the crash unfold.
‘There was particles in every single place, the tail fell off considered one of them and the helicopter nosedived into the bottom at full-speed.’
She mentioned her two youthful kids do not realise what they noticed however her older two are fairly shaken up.
Investigators are racing to gather proof earlier than excessive tide covers the sandbar
Officers scour the sand for items of particles that might help the investigation into the trigger
The Australian Transport Security Bureau mentioned it has already commenced an investigation into the collision.
‘Transport security investigators with expertise in helicopter operations, upkeep and survivability engineering are deploying from the ATSB’s Brisbane and Canberra places of work and are anticipated to start arriving on the accident web site from Monday afternoon,’ ATSB Chief Commissioner Angus Mitchell mentioned.
‘In the course of the proof gathering part of the investigation, ATSB investigators will study the wreckage and map the accident web site.’
‘Investigators will even get well any related elements for additional examination on the ATSB’s technical amenities in Canberra, collect any out there recorded information for evaluation, and interview witnesses and different concerned events.
The ATSB is asking for witnesses of the crash and people with footage of the collision to contact them instantly.
A police report can be ready for the coroner.
Emergency providers rushed to the wreckage simply after 2pm
