![]() The aftermath of VH-XH9 | |
Occurrence | |
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Date | 2 January 2023 , 1:59 pm AEST |
Summary | Mid-air collision due to faulty radio |
Site | Gold Coast Seaway, Queensland, Australia 27°57′41″S153°25′23″E / 27.96139°S 153.42306°E |
Total fatalities | 4 |
Total injuries | 8 |
Total survivors | 9 |
First aircraft | |
![]() A Eurocopter EC130 similar to the two helicopters involved in the collision | |
Type | Eurocopter EC130 |
Operator | Sea World Helicopters Pty Ltd |
Registration | VH-XH9 |
Flight origin | Sea World, Queensland, Australia |
Destination | Sea World, Queensland, Australia |
Occupants | 6 |
Passengers | 5 |
Crew | 1 |
Fatalities | 0 |
Injuries | 5 |
Survivors | 6 |
Second aircraft | |
Type | Eurocopter EC130 |
Operator | Sea World Helicopters Pty Ltd |
Registration | VH-XKQ |
Flight origin | Sea World, Queensland, Australia |
Destination | Sea World, Queensland, Australia |
Occupants | 7 |
Passengers | 6 |
Crew | 1 |
Fatalities | 4 |
Injuries | 3 |
Survivors | 3 |
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]
On 2 January 2023, at approximately 13:59 AEST, [1] two helicopters operated by Sea World Helicopters collided mid-air at about 130 feet above ground' [5] whilst one was attempting to land and the other departing from a helipad at Sea World theme park. [6] Both helicopters were undertaking tourist trips for park-goers along the Gold Coast Broadwater, although the operator is not associated with the theme park. [7]
Less than a minute after take-off, the departing helicopter (VH-XKQ) [8] collided with the arriving helicopter (VH-XH9). [8] [9] This resulted in the departing helicopter’s main rotor blades and gearbox separating, [10] causing the helicopter to crash on a sandbar, killing four on board including the pilot and leaving three in critical condition. [7] The arriving helicopter was able to stabilise itself after the collision and successfully perform an emergency landing on the same sandbar with substantial damage. [8] [10] 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. [11] [12]
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. [13] [14]
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. [7] [15] The four who died were a 40-year-old pilot, a 36-year-old woman, and a British couple, aged 65 and 57. [7] [15]
Sea World Helicopters Pty Ltd, the operator of the two helicopters involved, closed until further notice after the incident [6] and have since re-opened.
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. [15]
External videos | |
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A video of the arriving helicopter recorded by a passenger, which was aired by Seven News, shows a passenger pointing at the departing helicopter, tapping pilot Michael James on his shoulder and grabbing hold of his seat seconds before the collision. [9] Footage from three lipstick cameras attached to the departing helicopter will also be examined by the ATSB. [9]
Traces of cocaine were later found in the deceased pilot Ash Jenkinson's system. Experts claim it could lead to increased testing regulations. [16]
On 9 April 2025, the final report of the collision was released by the ATSB. The final report found that a faulty radio antenna, and that large aircraft were some of the factors that contributed to the faults resulting in this collision. [17] [18]