Relatives in distress and potential explosion threats faced police officers after two sightseeing helicopters collided in mid-air near a theme park, a coroner’s court has been told.
Nearly three years after the tragic incident, Coroner Carol Lee has initiated an inquest in Brisbane to examine 11 key issues linked to one of Australia’s most devastating aviation accidents.
Footage from a nearby helipad captured the helicopter, piloted by Michael James, making a controlled landing close to the site where the first helicopter crashed.
The collision resulted in injuries to James and nine passengers across both helicopters, with most injuries being severe.
James passed away last year due to a separate medical condition, according to reports.
Off-duty Senior Sergeant Duane Killic, who was at Sea World for personal reasons, witnessed the collision.
“I observed them for five to 10 seconds. It was getting closer and I thought it must be an optical illusion as they can’t be that close,” he told the inquest.
Killic rushed to grab the manifest from the helipad to aid in the rescue effort.
He ran into Tadros who was in a state of “panic” over his family members being on one of the helicopters.
The response to the crash from emergency services, Sea World staff and civilians was “extraordinary”, lead police investigator Detective Sergeant Dane Sheraton testified.
“I think more lives would have been lost without the response of those people,” he said.
The inquest comes months after a damning safety bureau report on the crash.
Harvey said at the time of the crash the volume of flights had been doubled for the peak holiday season.
“It was one of the busiest air corridors in the country,” he said.
The inquest is due to run for three weeks.
