The Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) has released a preliminary report in relation to a mid-air crash between two sightseeing helicopters on the Gold Coast which resulted in the death of British couple Diane and Ron Hughes.
The couple, from Neston, Cheshire, died in the collision at around 2pm local time on Monday January 2 in Main Beach, not far from Sea World in the state of Queensland. Queensland Police said the pilot and three passengers had died at the scene, including the pair from the UK – 57-year-old Mrs Hughes and 65-year-old Mr Hughes – and a woman, 36, from Glenmore Park, New South Wales.
The report details factual information and the accident’s sequence of events but contains no findings. The ATSB said the investigation will look closely at the issues both pilots faced in seeing the other helicopter, the nature of radio calls made, operator procedures and regulatory approvals.
