Overview
- The public inquest opened in Brisbane on Monday, nearly three years after two tourist helicopters collided over the Gold Coast Broadwater, killing four people.
- Day one included playing video of the final moments before impact, with footage showing a passenger alerting pilot Michael James before his damaged aircraft landed on a sandbar.
- Coroner Carol Lee told the court her task is to establish what happened and recommend measures to prevent a repeat, not to determine criminal or civil liability.
- Counsel assisting outlined lines of inquiry covering passenger briefings, radio communications, equipment serviceability and Sea World’s safety management systems.
- The hearing will examine the ATSB’s report on compounding failures, including a radio antenna fault that blocked a taxiing call, with evidence from at least 30 witnesses such as survivors, first responders and aviation specialists.