British visitors, pilot among 4 killed in Australia helicopter crash
- The deceased 57-year-old woman and 65-year-old man, a married couple from Britain, were on holiday; a 36-year-old Sydney woman also died
- Ashley Jenkinson, 40, who recently became a dad, was a chief pilot at Sea World Helicopters; he was praised for his help during catastrophic floods
A pilot, two British visitors and a Sydney woman have been identified as the four people killed in a collision of two helicopters over the waterfront at an Australian tourist hotspot.
Authorities say it was fortunate the death toll in the crash of two aircraft operated by Sea World Helicopters was not higher. The pilot of the second helicopter managed to land safely on a sandy outcrop despite the aircraft being damaged in the collision on Monday near Main Beach on Australia’s Gold Coast.
“Considering the damage that was done to the front left-hand section of the helicopter, where the pilot was sitting, that has been a remarkable achievement,” said Australian Transport Safety Bureau Chief Commissioner Angus Mitchell, whose office is investigating the crash.
“So whilst it has been very tragic that four people have lost their lives and many people are mourning this morning, we could have had a far worse situation here and the fact that one helicopter managed to land has been quite remarkable.”
Police said the two helicopters collided about 300 metres in the air as one was landing and another taking off. The helicopter that was taking off crashed, killing four of the seven aboard, including 40-year-old pilot Ashley Jenkinson and two visitors from the United Kingdom.
Jenkinson had worked as a chief pilot at Sea World Helicopters since 2019, and friends praised his mentorship and the help he provided during catastrophic floods in the New South Wales town of Ballina last year. The Gold Coast Bulletin reported he was 40 and had become a father in September.
