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 a British couple. Diane and Ron Hughes, from Neston, Cheshire, died in the collision at around 2pm local time – 4am GMT – 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 a pair travelling from the UK – a 57-year-old woman and a 65-year-old man – 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. The report said the two Eurocopter EC130 helicopters were being operated by Sea World Helicopters (a separate corporate entity to the theme park) on five-minute scenic flights.
