Pilot killed in Sea World Helicopters mid-air crash had taken cocaine, ATSB states

Safety bureau’s interim report says drug in Ashley Jenkinson’s system unlikely to have affected his flying

A helicopter pilot among four people killed in a mid-air collision on the Gold Coast had cocaine in his system but at a level unlikely to have affected his flying, a preliminary investigation has found.

The Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) on Tuesday released an interim report on the 2 January 2023 collision between two helicopters near Sea World on the Gold Coast. It found some passengers weren’t wearing their seatbelts properly.

The pilot of one aircraft was returning to a helipad with five passengers on board after a five-minute scenic flight.

A few minutes before 2pm, a second tour helicopter took off with six passengers and collided with the other aircraft. The helicopter that had just taken off crashed on to a sandbar, killing the pilot and three passengers and seriously injuring three others.

The first aircraft was able to land on the sandbar with three people onboard suffering serious injuries and three suffering minor injuries.

The ATSB’s interim report was released to give an update on the investigation into the crash and has not made formal findings as to the contributing factors.

An autopsy of the deceased pilot of the second helicopter, Ashley Jenkinson, found no evidence of significant disease but a toxicology report showed a positive result for cocaine.

The examining forensic pathologist reported no signs of chronic stimulant use and the cocaine was unlikely to have been consumed within 24 hours of the crash and could have been taken up to four days prior, the report stated.

The bureau’s chief commissioner, Angus Mitchell, said the pilot had a “low concentration” of cocaine in his system.

“It is unlikely there would have been impairment of the pilot’s psychomotor skills,” Mitchell said.

The investigation – which examined smartphone footage from people onboard and witnesses on the ground – found some passengers were not wearing their seatbelts properly.

Mitchell said investigators identified a potentially common lack of understanding in the helicopter tourism community regarding how “constant wear lifejackets” should be worn in conjunction with seatbelts.

“This correlated with a discovery that some passengers’ seatbelts were not fitted correctly in this accident, in part due to interference from their lifejackets – although we have not attributed this to the tragic outcomes in this case,” the chief commissioner said.

The ATSB has estimated its final report – which will include analysis, findings and any recommended safety actions – will be completed between July and September 2024.

“This was a tragic accident, and it is our responsibility to make findings and drive safety actions, which reduce the likelihood of a similar occurrence in the future,” Mitchell said.

The interim report noted several steps that have already been taken by Sea World Helicopters – which is a separate business to the theme park – including greater air traffic control at the beachside heliport.

Guardian Australia contacted Sea World Helicopters for comment.

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