Sea World helicopter crash: Aircraft’s unusual pilot seating restricted vision

An unusual quirk of the two luxury helicopters involved in the Sea World chopper crash may have played a key role in causing the tragedy that killed four people.

Sea World Helicopters had only taken delivery of their high end $2.5million Eurobus EC130 choppers in November to supplement their two older Squirrel 350s.

But the two new aircraft were both configured with the pilot sitting in the left hand seat, which is unconventional in helicopters, with two passengers on his right.

Now investigators are probing if the pilot’s view was blocked by the sightseers which may have led to the crash. 

Pictures of the wreckage reveal passengers sitting on the right side of the chopper which smashed into the ground, killing pilot Ash Jenkinson and three passengers

Flight controls can be seen on the left hand seat of the helicopter which pilot Michael James managed to crash land safely on the sandbar

The unusual set up meant chief pilot Ash Jenkinson, 40, would have had a restricted view up to his far side where the second aircraft was flying towards him. 

The Gold Coast company’s two other Squirrel aircraft are set up with the more traditional right-hand seat controls. 

The pilots’ view will be part of the inquiry into the cause of the crash, revealed Air Transport Safety Bureau chief commissioner Angus Mitchell on Tuesday. 

‘We have a reasonable understanding of what the two helicopters were doing in those critical phases of flight,’ he said. 

‘But exactly why this occurred, what was the range of visibility from both the pilots, what was happening in the cabins at the time – they’re the things that will help us piece together potentially what may have been a contributing factor here.’ 

As Mr Jenkinson took off, the second helicopter was above him on his right, flying at a 90 degree angle to him, and may have been invisible from his vantage point 

How the tragedy unfolded in just 20 seconds

The lower helicopter  rose 60m into the flightpath of the second aircraft, slicing its rotor blades into the other aircraft’s cabin and ripping its own rotor unit and gearbox off

Just 20 seconds later, his helicopter rose into the flightpath of the second aircraft, slicing its rotor blades into the other aircraft’s cabin and ripping its own rotor unit and gearbox off.

The lower plane spun out of control, flipped on its back and plummeted to the ground, smashing into the Broadwater sandbar below around 2pm on Monday.

Sydney mother Vanessa Tadros, 36, British newlyweds Ron Hughes, 65, and wife Diane, 57, died in the crash with the pilot, originally from Birmingham in the UK.

Three other passengers on board, Ms Tadros’s 10-year-old son Nicholas, Geelong mother Winnie de Silva, 33, and her son Leon, 9, are being treated in hospital.

Winnie de Silva has two broken legs, a broken right shoulder, a broken collarbone and a damaged left knee after the Sea World helicopter crash

Leon (pictured) has a fractured skull and is in an induced coma

Leon (left) is in an induced coma in Brisbane while his mum Winnie (right) is in intensive care on the Gold Coast

Leon’s shattered stepfather, Neil, revealed on Wednesday Leon’s condition remains a major concern. 

He broke down on Wednesday morning as he told how the Geelong family had travelled to the Gold Coast for a budget holiday when he shouted Winnie and Leon a 10-minute joy flight. 

‘Leon’s the worst at the moment, he’s in an induced coma because of the head trauma and trauma on the brain,’ Mr de Silva told the Today show on Wednesday.

‘Our major concern is Leon when they wake his up today that he’s okay. I’m just doing what I can for them, I’ve got no choice.’ 

Simon Tadros (left)  is keeping vigil at his son Nicholas’s hospital bedside as his mourns the loss of his wife Vanessa (right)

Simon Tadros – the grief-stricken father of 10-year-old Nicholas, who was also critically injured in the crash that killed his mother Vanessa – has revealed how he could only watch on as the tragedy unfolded. 

‘I thought they were dead, I couldn’t imagine anyone surviving,’ he said. 

‘[Nicholas] is on life support in a critical condition. So please he needs all the prayers he can get,’ Mr Tadros posted online.

‘Please keep your prayers strong, may God pull him back with me and make a good recovery.’

Sea World Helicopters had only just brought the crashed EC130s into service in time for the peak Christmas holiday season after trialing one earlier in the year. 

Sea World Helicopters had only just brought the new EC130s into service in time for the peak Christmas holiday season after trialing one earlier in the year

They were billed as the ultimate luxury options with leather seats and a curved glass cockpit to maximise passengers’ sight-seeing opportunities at beauty spots below

They were billed as the ultimate luxury options with leather seats and a curved glass cockpit to maximise passengers’ sight-seeing opportunities at beauty spots below.

One of the aircraft was set up for five passengers plus the pilot, while the other was set up for six passengers and pilot.

The larger combination had two passengers to the right of the pilot who sat on the far left of the cockpit, with four more in the row behind.

Unlike aeroplanes, helicopter pilots traditionally, but not always, sit on the right side of the plane, as the sensitive joystick-like rotor control needs to be held at all times. 

Sitting on the right usually allows the pilot better access to the other controls and instruments with his free hand.

But the EC130s are configured with pilot controls on the left by default.

Salvage crews remove one of the wrecked helicopters revealing the flight controls on the left hand side of the aircraft

Sea World Helicopters’ Squirrel choppers (pictured) are set up with the more conventional seating with the pilot on the right of the aircraft

Pictures of the wreckage confirm flight controls on the left side of the aircraft with passengers seated on the right which may have restricted the pilot’s vision.

The pilot of the second aircraft Michael James was also seated on the left but may not have been able to see the aircraft coming towards him from the angle below.

The 52-year-old has been praised for his quick thinking and cool reaction after his cockpit was smashed in by the rotor blade of the other aircraft.

Mr James is believed to have only worked as a Sea World helicopter pilot for a year, although he is said to be highly skilled with many prior years of flying.

He has since undergone surgery at Gold Coast University Hospital for ‘shrapnel wounds’ he suffered when the rotor blades sliced through the glass and metal of his chopper’s cockpit.

He is yet to give his version of events to police and aviation investigators.

Why neither pilot saw the other, or were in radio contact, and failed to take evasive action will be the focus of the air crash investigation. 

‘Both aircraft were EC130s and the pilot sits on the left-hand side, so they could have two passengers on the right-hand side,’ said aviation expert Professor Ron Bartsch.

Judging by the direction of both aircrafts, he believes it’s possible both pilot’s line of sight could have been obscured by the other passengers.

Investigators will now be scrutinising eye witness accounts and videos and CCTV footage of the crash for clues to the cause of the horror collision.

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Sea World helicopters chief pilot Ash ‘Jenko’ Jenkinson, 40, died in the helicopter crash (pictured with his wife, Kosha)

British couple Ron, 65, and Diane Hughes, 57 died when a Sea World EC130 helicopter collided with another chopper mid-air and plummeted 30 metres near the Sea World theme park at 2pm on Monday

Sydney mother Vanessa Tadros, 36, was killed while her 10-year-old son Nicholas survived the helicopter crash on Monday

On Tuesday, Queensland Police Commissioner Katarina Carroll said it was ‘still early days’ in the investigation when asked by reporters if charges were likely.

‘All of the evidence will form part of the investigation and at the end of the day, there will be conclusions…and that may be the case,’ she said.

Aviation expert Geoffrey Thomas it can often be very difficult to see a lower helicopter flying above a complex landscape such as a city.

‘A whole series of events could have conspired in lead up to what happened,’ Mr Thomas added.

‘A few seconds is all you need for a tragedy like this.’

Mr Thomas praised the surviving pilot on his efforts to safely land his damaged aircraft.

‘If it wasn’t for that extraordinary piece of airmanship, another four-five people would have lost their lives,’ he said.

Officers scour the sand for pieces of debris that could assist the investigation into the cause

First hand accounts from survivors and witnesses’ will be crucial to the Australian Transport Safety Bureau investigation, he added.

Most helicopters don’t have black box flight recorders, unlike larger aircraft.

‘Investigators will look at the communication between the pilots, their flying histories, conditions and vision taken by witnesses,’ Mr Thomas said.

‘The investigation will take weeks, months, possibly even years.’

INSIDE THE EUROCOPTER EC130 

The helicopter is specifically designed for the tourist and VIP industry but also used for medical flights. 

It boasts of having the largest cabin space of any single-engine helicopter, and can be set up to carry five to seven passengers, plus up to two pilots.

It also claims to be the quietest helicopter in its class, and is easily identifiable by its enclosed tail rotor. 

The sleek $2.5million EC130 is designed for the VIP and tourist industry

‘This user-friendly helicopter is pleasant and easy to fly,’ says the company’s sales pitch.

The chopper’s 950bhp engine can cruise at a speed of 237km/h and has a maximum altitude of 7,000m.

It can fly for 600km and has a maximum take-off load of 2,500kg.