WARNING: Distressing content material
Confronting footage from inside a helicopter concerned within the crash close to Sea World on the Gold Coast will play an integral half within the investigation into how the deadly accident occurred, an skilled says.
WATCH THE VIDEO ABOVE: Second vacationer raises alarm seconds earlier than deadly GC helicopter crash.
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The footage, acquired by 7NEWS this week, captures the second a passenger within the again seat factors to one thing in entrance of them earlier than affect with an ascending helicopter.
4 individuals had been killed within the collision on Monday.
The Australian Transport Security Bureau has been tasked with investigating the crash.
Peter Carter, a pilot himself and lawyer from Carter Capner Regulation, informed Dawn this week that the video will play a key function within the investigation.
“It is a very helpful video for the investigators, they will have the ability to correlate the data they’ll see there with some issues they already know, like altitude and place of the plane,” he mentioned.
“It additionally reveals that all the things gave the impression to be regular main as much as the accident.
“It exhibits, in my estimation, the plane is beneath 1000 ft, it is simply handed one of many touchdown zones… it reveals that the pilot was unaware of the opposite plane. It suggests, maybe, that one of many passengers could have been alerted to one thing and will have been making an attempt to get the pilot’s consideration.”
He mentioned the operator of the helicopters would have procedures in place to make sure they do not fly too shut to one another.
One facet of this, Carter mentioned, is the pilots broadcasting their intention to land and depart.
“Investigators might want to take heed to these broadcasts, they will have transcripts from Airservices Australia, and so they’ll have the ability to inform whether or not the suitable broadcasts had been made.
“The departing helicopter must have broadcast he was departing and likewise the opposite plane.”
Within the footage, the particular person filming pans throughout the surroundings earlier than one other passenger within the backseat factors to one thing in entrance of them.
That passenger is then seen bracing for affect by grabbing the pilot’s seat because the helicopter’s windshield shatters, sending glass via the cabin and the video ends. 7NEWS.com.au has chosen to not present the footage in full.
Onboard the helicopter had been Riaan and Elmarie Steenberg and Marle and Edward Swart, all from Auckland in New Zealand, pilot Michael James, and one other unnamed passenger.
Elmarie Steenberg posted on Fb on Wednesday afternoon confirming the group had been concerned within the crash.
“I’m nonetheless in hospital within the Gold Coast, recovering from my accidents,” she mentioned.
“All I can say is thanks to God for sparing all of us.”
The Steenbergs’ son, Enrico, took to Instagram to thank Michael James for the protected touchdown.
“Thx (sic) to the pilot for saving my mother and father from the crash and all prayers to the household who misplaced their family members,” he wrote.
ATSB Chief Commissioner Angus Mitchell mentioned the helicopter that was taking off was within the air for lower than 20 seconds earlier than the crash.
“After the collision, it was a matter of seconds earlier than it hit the bottom,” he informed reporters.
“So it has unfolded in a short time.”
Mitchell mentioned it appeared the primary rotor blade of the helicopter that was taking off collided with the entrance cockpit of the descending helicopter, inflicting appreciable injury to the touchdown helicopter.
“Precisely whether or not that was the very first level of affect – we’re but to find out,” he mentioned.
“However that in itself has led to the primary rotor within the gearbox separating from the primary helicopter, which then had no raise and has fallen closely to the bottom.”
Outstanding touchdown
Mitchell mentioned the second helicopter coming in to land has remarkably managed to land upright.
Contemplating the injury that was accomplished to the entrance left-hand part the place pilot Michael James was sitting, he mentioned the touchdown was a “exceptional achievement”.
“We might have had a far worse state of affairs right here,” he mentioned. “The truth that one helicopter has been capable of land has been exceptional.”
The ATSB has begun an investigation into the crash and continues to be piecing collectively the precise sequence of occasions.
Investigators can be inspecting the wreckage and mapping the accident web site in addition to accumulating proof and interviewing witnesses.
Mitchell mentioned the take-off and touchdown phases of any plane operations are vital phases of flight.
The cognitive workload of pilots is the best right now, he mentioned.
“What we have to know now could be what was occurring in these two cockpits on the time.”
The investigation will look into the vary of visibility for each pilots and what precisely was occurring in each cabins on Monday afternoon.
