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{{Short description|2023 mid-air helicopter collision in Queensland, Australia}}
{{Short description|2023 mid-air helicopter collision in Queensland, Australia}}
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{{Article for deletion/dated|page=2023 Gold Coast helicopter crash|timestamp=20230107052341|year=2023|month=January|day=7|substed=yes|help=off}}
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{{Infobox aircraft occurrence
{{Infobox aircraft occurrence
| name = 2023 Gold Coast mid-air collision
| name = 2023 Gold Coast mid-air collision

Revision as of 16:34, 7 January 2023

On 2 January 2023, two Eurocopter EC130s collided mid-air and crashed near Sea World theme park in the city of Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia. The collision killed four people and injured eight (three critically).[1][2][3][4]

Incident

On 2 January 2023, at approximately 1:59 pm AEST,[1] two helicopters operated by Sea World Helicopters collided mid-air below 150 metres whilst one was attempting to land and the other departing from a helipad at Sea World theme park.[5] Both helicopters were undertaking tourist trips for park-goers along the Gold Coast Broadwater, although the operator is not associated with the theme park.[6]

Less than a minute after take-off, the departing helicopter[7] flown by Sea World Helicopters chief pilot[6] was struck in the tail by an arriving helicopter.[7][8] This resulted in the departing helicopter’s main rotor blades and gearbox separating,[9] causing the helicopter to crash on a sandbar, killing four on board including the pilot and leaving three in critical condition.[6] The arriving helicopter was able to stabilise itself after the collision and successfully perform an emergency landing on the same sandbar with substantial damage.[7][9] All six on board survived without critical injury, with five of the six survivors on the arriving helicopter suffering minor glass shrapnel wounds from the shattered cockpit windshield.[10][11]

Many members of the public witnessed the collision, with beachgoers, boaters, and nearby police attending the scene to provide first aid and free injured passengers from the helicopter.[12][13]

All nine survivors were taken to hospital for further treatment: eight were transported to Gold Coast University Hospital and one was transported to Queensland Children’s Hospital.[1] The three critically injured survivors were on the departing helicopter and included a 33-year-old woman and her nine-year-old son, and a 10-year-old child.[6][14] The four who died were a 40-year-old pilot, 36-year-old, and British couple (aged 65 and 57 respectively).[6][14]

Sea World Helicopters Pty Ltd, the operator of the two helicopters involved, closed until further notice after the incident.[5]

Investigation

People on board by Nationality
Nationality No.
Australia Australia 5
United Kingdom United Kingdom 2
New Zealand New Zealand 2

Queensland Police and the Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) are investigating the collision. Investigators from ATSB offices in Brisbane and Canberra arrived the following day,[1] removing both aircraft from the sandbar and retrieving electronic recording equipment.[14]

Phone footage aired by Seven News and obtained by a passenger of the arriving helicopter shows a passenger pointing at the departing helicopter, tapping pilot Michael James on his shoulder and grabbing hold of his seat moments before the collision.[8] Footage from three lipstick cameras attached to the departing helicopter will also be examined by the ATSB.[8]

The Bureau is producing a preliminary report into the collision.[2][7]

Similar incidents

On 3 March 1991, all seven people onboard a Sea World Helicopters helicopter were killed during a joy-flight from Sea World theme park.[15] According to the ATSB's accident investigation report, about 4 kilometres north of the park the helicopter climbed steeply with its nose facing almost vertically upwards.[16] It then fell backwards, resulting in the tail boom being severed by the main rotor blades, causing the helicopter to crash on a South Stradbroke Island beach.[16] The investigation found the helicopter was airworthy and there was no evidence of the pilot attempting a deliberate manoeuvre such as a torque turn.[16] Although the pilot was unknowingly suffering from myocarditis, which could result in loss of consciousness or death, the reason for the loss of control could not be established.[16]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c d Colasimone, Dan; Callinan, Rory (2 January 2023). "Four dead after two helicopters collide near Sea World on the Gold Coast". ABC News. Archived from the original on 3 January 2023. Retrieved 2 January 2023.
  2. ^ a b Cabral, Sam (2 January 2023). "Australia helicopter collision: Four dead in mid-air incident over Gold Coast". BBC News. Archived from the original on 3 January 2023. Retrieved 2 January 2023.
  3. ^ Marris, Sharon (2 January 2023). "Four dead after two helicopters collide in mid-air near Sea World theme park in Australia". Sky News. Archived from the original on 3 January 2023. Retrieved 2 January 2023.
  4. ^ Branco, Jorge (3 January 2023). "Race against the tide to retrieve chopper wreckage after deadly Gold Coast crash". Nine News (9News). Archived from the original on 3 January 2023. Retrieved 3 January 2023.
  5. ^ a b Roe, Isobel (4 January 2023). "Husband of Western Sydney woman who died in Gold Coast helicopter crash prays for injured son". ABC News. Archived from the original on 4 January 2023. Retrieved 4 January 2023.
  6. ^ a b c d e Miles, Janelle; Callinan, Rory (3 January 2023). "Sea World helicopter collision could have been 'far worse' if not for 'remarkable' landing on sand bank, authorities say". ABC News. Archived from the original on 3 January 2023. Retrieved 3 January 2023.
  7. ^ a b c d "Mid-air collision involving two helicopters near Main Beach, Gold Coast, Queensland, on 2 January 2023". Australian Transport Safety Bureau. Retrieved 3 January 2023.
  8. ^ a b c Utting, Alexandria; Hosier, Phoebe (5 January 2023). "Hours of video footage to be reviewed as part of fatal Gold Coast helicopter crash investigation". ABC News. Archived from the original on 5 January 2023. Retrieved 5 January 2023.
  9. ^ a b O’Flaherty, Antonia (3 January 2023). "What we know so far about Sea World helicopter crash on the Gold Coast". ABC News. Archived from the original on 3 January 2023. Retrieved 3 January 2023.
  10. ^ Clinton, Jane (3 January 2023). "Two Britons among four killed in Australia helicopter collision". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 3 January 2023. Retrieved 3 January 2023.
  11. ^ Block, George (4 January 2023). "Gold Coast helicopter collision: Kiwi witness reveals close call in horror crash". The New Zealand Herald. Archived from the original on 3 January 2023. Retrieved 4 January 2023.
  12. ^ Read, Cloe (2 January 2023). "'Unthinkable tragedy': Four dead after helicopters crash near Sea World". Brisbane Times. Archived from the original on 3 January 2023. Retrieved 2 January 2023.
  13. ^ Meilhan, Pierre; Yeung, Jessie (2 January 2023). "Four dead and several injured after two helicopters collide on Australia's Gold Coast". CNN. Archived from the original on 4 January 2023. Retrieved 2 January 2023.
  14. ^ a b c Taylor, Josh; Gillespie, Eden (3 January 2023). "Gold Coast helicopter crash: investigators to 'painstakingly' piece together events that left four dead". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 4 January 2023. Retrieved 3 January 2023.
  15. ^ "Helicopters collide near Gold Coast marine park Sea World". Radio New Zealand. 2 January 2023. Archived from the original on 4 January 2023. Retrieved 5 January 2023.
  16. ^ a b c d "Bell 206L-1 Helicopter VH-TCH, South Stradbroke Island Old, 3 March 1991". ATSB. Retrieved 5 January 2023.