Sea World Helicopters boss points finger at pilot over fatal crash

“We’ve discovered that Mr Jenkinson was affected by drugs, cocaine, which was totally against regulation,” Newman told the inquest, which resumed this week, as reported by The Australian.

“He broke five parts of our operation manual, basic rules of the air [that you] give way to the right and give way to landing aircraft.

“We did everything except allow for someone to make such a grossly negligent act of being under the influence of drugs fly a helicopter … If I had known, he would have been fired the next day. I have zero tolerance for drugs.”

Additionally, according to Newman, Jenkinson had been “totally distracted” by two front-row passengers discussing boats as the helicopter was taking off, and that he would have seen the other helicopter approaching to land if he had looked to the right.

“It’s my view that he was looking to the left, talking about the boats. He was the kind of guy that loved to please,” he said, as reported by the ABC.

“My view is he was interacting with those people and not concentrating on what he should’ve been concentrating on.

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“There could be no doubt to departing pilots where they’d have to look. It completely blows me away. I say to myself, how did he not see that helicopter?”

The inquest comes after damning findings by the ATSB last year, which concluded a number of factors such as faulty radio, poor visibility, and inadequate risk controls contributed to the crash.

In one of the videos, a passenger in VH-XKQ, which was taking off, could reportedly be seen attempting to get Jenkinson’s attention and alert them to the presence of VH‑XH9, which was coming in to land at the same time.

Aviation lawyer Peter Carter of Carter Capner Law said the inquest must “consider any new testimony or evidence in order to determine the details around this tragedy”.

“This inquest should also serve as a reminder that many lives were affected as a result of this accident, and this could have been any of us,” he said.

“Those impacted were the passengers and their families, but also the ‘good samaritans’ who rushed to help the injured and witnessed scenes that will likely cause them ongoing trauma, and even those who witnessed the crash from close quarters.

“I’ve dealt with hundreds of clients over the years who have suffered tremendously in similar situations and had long term medical bills and loss of income.

“While the law is there to protect people and provide necessary compensation, it can also be very complex, and my message to people who encounter such tragedy is to seek the right counsel as soon as possible, so that they can be helped through the process and reclaim as much of their lives as possible.”

According to the ATSB, the operator, now known as Surfers Paradise Helicopters, has since taken “a number of safety actions” following the disaster.