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Helicopter Crash: Tourists Warned Pilot of Approaching Danger
25 Nov
Summary
- New video shows tourists warning pilot before fatal helicopter collision.
- Inquest revealed faulty radio antenna likely caused communication failure.
- Four people, including a British couple, died in the January 2023 crash.
Newly released video footage offers a chilling perspective on the moments leading up to a fatal mid-air helicopter collision above Australia's Gold Coast. The recordings, captured from inside both aircraft and by onlookers, were presented at the inquest into the January 2023 tragedy. One video vividly shows tourists inside a helicopter attempting to warn their pilot of an oncoming aircraft just moments before impact.
The collision tragically claimed the lives of four individuals, including British tourists Diane and Ron Hughes, pilot Ashley Jenkinson, and Australian Vanessa Tadross. Their helicopter, airborne for only 25 seconds, plummeted from 40 meters onto a sandbank. Another helicopter managed a miraculous safe landing despite minor injuries to its five passengers.
An Australian Transport Safety Bureau report identified critical failures, notably a faulty radio antenna on the departing helicopter. This likely prevented a 'taxiing' call, a vital alert that could have prompted the inbound pilot to reassess the departing craft as a collision risk. The inquest continues to scrutinize these events.
