A tragic mid-air helicopter collision at an Australian theme park resulted in four fatalities, including two British tourists, as revealed by transport safety officials. The incident, which occurred in January 2023 near Sea World on the Gold Coast, has been traced back to a malfunctioning radio antenna that played a significant role in the disaster.
Investigation reveals critical communication failures
According to findings from Australia’s Transport and Safety Bureau (ATSB), a vital radio communication was missed by one of the pilots shortly before the collision. The report highlighted that changes implemented by Sea World to enhance its helicopter operations inadvertently compromised critical safety protocols over time.
The tragic incident took place approximately 20 seconds after one helicopter had taken off, while the other was in the process of landing. All victims were aboard the helicopter that was departing, while the second aircraft managed to execute an emergency landing, resulting in various injuries among its passengers.
Sequence of events leading to the collision
The ATSB’s investigation indicated that Sea World had introduced a second helipad and larger Eurocopter EC140 B4 helicopters in an effort to expand its leisure flight offerings. However, these adjustments led to the erosion of established risk controls designed to maintain safe traffic separation, creating potential conflict points for the helicopters.
The helicopter preparing for take-off had a faulty antenna, which affected its ability to receive critical communications. Just before the collision, a call from the incoming helicopter was either not heard or not received by the pilot loading passengers on the ground. After boarding the passengers, a ground crew member incorrectly informed the departing helicopter pilot that the airspace was clear. By the time the helicopter took off, that information was no longer accurate.
Meanwhile, the pilot of the landing helicopter had visually identified the other aircraft on the ground but did not consider it a threat. The ATSB report noted that he would have relied on a “taxiing” radio call to reassess the situation, but the malfunctioning antenna likely obstructed that communication.
“Without the taxiing call being received, the pilot of the inbound helicopter, who was likely focusing on their landing site, had no trigger to reassess the status of the departing helicopter as a collision risk.”
The victims included Diane Hughes, 57, and her 65-year-old husband Ron from Neston, Cheshire, who were on holiday visiting family after being separated by COVID-19. The couple was described by their family as fun-loving individuals with a “zest for life.” Other casualties included 36-year-old Vanessa Tadros from Sydney and 40-year-old pilot Ashley Jenkinson, originally from Birmingham.
In addition to the fatalities, six other passengers sustained serious injuries, while three others reported minor injuries. The pilot of the returning helicopter was praised as a “hero” for managing a safe landing in the aftermath of the collision.
The ATSB’s comprehensive investigation resulted in 28 findings, emphasizing crucial lessons for aviation operators and pilots. ATSB Chief Commissioner Angus Mitchell remarked on the complexity of aviation safety, stating, “The most fundamental lesson from this investigation is that making changes to aviation operations, even those that appear to increase safety, can have unintended consequences.” He added that it is vital for changes to be managed through a defined process to ensure overall safety is not compromised.