A pilot told investigators he did not recall hearing another on the ground announce he was taking off before their helicopters collided and crashed – killing four people, including a British couple – in Australia, according to an interim report.
The two Sea World helicopters collided off the Gold Coast in January near the resort and theme park in Queensland while conducting scenic flights.
Diane and Ron Hughes, aged 57 and 65, from Neston, Cheshire, as well as 36-year-old Vanessa Tadros from Sydney and the pilot of the second helicopter Ashley Jenkinson, died in the crash.
Nine people were injured, including the 10-year-old son of Ms Tadros, who remains in hospital and last week had his right leg amputated from the knee down.
A preliminary report by the Australian Transport Safety Bureau said surviving pilot, Michael James, saw passengers getting onto the other helicopter as it was preparing to depart – as he returned from his flight to a helipad adjacent to the Sea World theme park.
He did not see it take off and believed he would be clear of the aircraft and it would pass behind him.
Mr James told investigators he did not recall the other pilot making a standard taxiing call to signal his intent to take off.
“This does not necessarily mean that a taxi call was not made and this topic will be subject to detailed analysis by the ATSB investigation,” the report said.
Mr James also told investigators that as he came into land, he didn’t see the other helicopter departing.
Two of his passengers spotted the rising aircraft and warned him.
The helicopters collided at a height of about 130ft – 23 seconds after the second aircraft took off.
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Angus Mitchell, chief commissioner at the safety bureau, said the investigation into the collision would be “complex and comprehensive” and it would “look closely at the issues both pilots potentially faced in seeing the other helicopter”.
He said the survivors and families of those killed “want to not only understand how the tragedy unfolded but equally, and most importantly, why it occurred. And why didn’t the safety equipment, processes and procedures that are designed to prevent an accident like this work on this occasion?”
The safety bureau’s investigation is one of several ongoing into the collision, and it is expected to take at least another 18 months to complete.
