Boss blames pilot distraction before Sea World helicopter tragedy
A pilot’s lapse of concentration has been blamed for a helicopter collision that claimed four lives in a holiday joy flight that went tragically wrong.
Ash Jenkinson was most likely distracted by his passengers when his chopper struck another helicopter seconds after taking off near Gold Coast theme park Sea World on January 2, 2023, a coroner has heard.
Ash Jenkinson was most likely distracted by his passengers when his chopper struck another helicopter seconds after taking off near Gold Coast theme park Sea World on January 2, 2023, a coroner has heard. Supplied
Jenkinson’s cockpit was not quiet at the critical time after take-off on the fateful day, Sea World Helicopters chief executive Brett Newman said on Monday.
He told coroner Carol Lee the pilot was most likely distracted by the family of Sea World Cruises owners, who had asked him to provide a joy flight.
“It is my view that Ash was dealing with the two front-seat passengers who were the family of friends,” Newman said.
“Ash was the kind of guy who loved to please … it is my view that he was interacting with these people and not concentrating on what he should have been concentrating on.”
Jenkinson, 40, was one of the four people killed in the crash, later testing positive for remnants of cocaine at his autopsy.
The inquest had been told earlier the pilot had been seen inhaling multiple lines of the drug at a New Year’s Eve party before the crash.
The crash also killed three passengers - British newlyweds Ronald and Diane Hughes, aged 65 and 67, and Sydney mother Vanessa Tadros, 36. 9News
Newman strenuously denied any knowledge of Jenkinson having any interest in recreational drugs, saying he had zero tolerance for their use.
Counsel assisting the inquest Ian Harvey asked Newman if he had any inkling Jenkinson ever used cocaine.
“Absolutely not, and if I had have known he would have been fired the next day,” he replied.
“Ash knew my view on drugs.”
Newman said Sea World’s requirements to ensure pilots were fit to fly were higher than those legally required by the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) and commercial airlines.
He said the helicopter company had inherited Sea World owners Village Roadshow Theme Parks’ zero tolerance approach to drugs and alcohol.
Pilots were subjected to random drug testing by both Village Roadshow as well as CASA, he said.
“Our system was more stringent than Virgin or Qantas, who don’t do breath testing, and don’t do their own drug testing,” he said.
“So any assumption that we should have had drug testing is just ridiculous.”
Newman said he had not observed any unusual behaviour by Jenkinson during the time leading up to the tragedy, describing daily banter between them.
“Every time I spoke to him, his response would be ‘good, really good, really really good’,” Newman said.
“I would say back to him, ‘Tell me the truth - nobody’s really, really good,’ and we’d have a laugh.”
Nicholas Tadros on holiday before two helicopters collided near Sea World on the Gold Coast on Monday, January 4, 2023. 9News
Diane and Ron Hughes also died in the crash. 9News
The crash also killed three passengers - British newlyweds Ronald and Diane Hughes, aged 65 and 67, and Sydney mother Vanessa Tadros, 36.
Their helicopter struck another during take-off and fell 40 metres onto a sandbar.
Several other passengers were injured in the crash, including Tadros’s son Nicholas who endured months in hospital and the loss of his leg.
Jenkinson had been appointed Sea World Helicopters’ chief pilot, a company that ran the joy flights on behalf of the theme park.
Sea World Helicopters has operated as Surfers Paradise Helicopters since July 1.
AAP
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