Families mark one year since Gold Coast helicopter crash

ABC NEWS (Australia)

One year on from the fatal Seaworld helicopter crash on the Gold Coast, Air Safety investigators have called in international experts to help determine the cause of the tragedy.

Transcript

00:00 A 3D animation of the moments leading up to the fatal crash has been created in Germany.

00:07 It's hoped the re-enactment will help investigators understand why the helicopters collided 130

00:14 feet above the broad water one year ago, killing four people.

00:19 So that we can see exactly what was likely to be seen or possible to be seen by both the pilots.

00:24 SeaWorld chief pilot Ashley Jenkinson, Sydney mother Vanessa Tadros and British couple Ron and Diane Hughes

00:32 died and three others were critically injured.

00:35 Among many lines of inquiry, the Australian Transport Safety Bureau is looking into the personal and operational

00:41 stress on the pilot in the days, weeks and months leading up to the incident.

00:47 Humans we know are susceptible to miscalculations, to not following procedures

00:53 and they're the sorts of things that we are very keen to understand.

00:56 For those there on the day, memories of the scene are still vivid.

01:00 Just completely surreal, just didn't believe it, mouth open, what was this, like shock like I've never had before.

01:07 It just didn't look real, it was like something out of a movie scene.

01:11 Sean Pringle remembers how excited the passengers were before the joy flights and the aftermath inside the terminal.

01:18 A lot of screaming and people demanding answers and obviously we didn't have any answers.

01:23 So it was pretty horrible.

01:27 He's a hero, that guy, crazy to get that machine down and any pilot will say the same.

01:32 It was just incredible, the position he ended up in after the collision and then to actually get it down safely,

01:38 unbelievable, incredible, superhuman.

01:42 Emergency agencies practised a search and rescue drill near the crash scene last month.

01:47 As part of a review into their response to the incident.

01:50 There'd be a lot further education in relation to the aviation side of things.

01:55 The ATSB will release its final report with recommendations in six months.

02:00 Got to get that right if we're going to have recommendations that are widely picked up,

02:04 not only here on the Gold Coast but more broadly throughout Australia

02:08 and in fact these types of operations around the globe.

02:11 Helicopter joy flight operators have already received new advice on seatbelt protocols.

02:17 Later this year the industry can expect more guidance to avoid another tragedy.

02:23 [BLANK_AUDIO]

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