Pilot dies in Gold Coast helicopter crash - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)
Pilot dies in Gold Coast helicopter crash
By Charmaine Kane and staff writers
Posted 2 hours 3 minutes ago
Updated 23 minutes ago
The helicopter crashed at the southern end of the Gold Coast Airport (file photo). (
www.goldcoastairport.com)
Map: Coolangatta 4225
A pilot died in a helicopter crash at the Gold Coast's Coolangatta airport this morning.
Emergency services say the 71-year-old man was the only person onboard the helicopter when it crashed at 10:15am AEST.
Crews tried unsuccessfully to resuscitate the pilot.
The chopper crashed in bushland not far from the tarmac on the New South Wales side of the airport and well away from the terminal.
Inspector Darren Steele says many people witnessed the crash.
"I believe at this stage there may have been a couple of passers-by obviously very close to the roadway and there may have been some witnesses to the final movements of the aircraft," Insp Steele said.
He says police are gathering information about the pilot, his flying experience, the helicopter and its flight path.
An airport worker has told the ABC that the helicopter "was kind of wonky and seemed to flip before crashing".
It is the second Gold Coast helicopter crash in recent weeks; five people escaped with minor injuries on June 10 when their joyflight chopper lost power as it came into land at Dreamworld.
The pilot was praised for managing to steer it away from crowds before crash-landing in an empty part of the car park.