Two helicopters collide - Gold Coast, Queensland - Sea World 2/1/2023
It is always sad news when such a tragedy occurs especially when some of. those lost are known to you.
Also as always, the questions shall be asked to explain how this collision occurred and why the two pilots did not see the other aircraft in time to take evasive action to avoid the collision.
The un-official Rotorheads Accident Investigation process shall ask some relevant questions among a host of non-relevant questions and comments with the chore of focusing upon the relevant being made difficult as a result.
Recent discussion about a Sightseeing EC-130 crash discussed the "Pilot on the Left" thing in much detail and should not be an issue here except for where it bears upon the departing aircraft's Pilot being able to see to his right and his view not be blocked for some reason.
If the landing pilot was seated on the left then he should have had a clear view of the departing aircraft but apparently did not see that aircraft as it departed.
Local procedures and operating SOP's are going to be a key point in this investigation I would think.
Were the two aircraft on a common frequency and making position reports and declaring their intentions.....did the departing aircraft make a call....did the airborne aircraft make a call?
Is there a common traffic pattern used by the sight seeing aircraft so routings of all aircraft would be done so as to minimize conflicts?
One thing I noticed re the Rescue services....they seemed to be very well equipped to move the wreckage to access the victims.
This is a sad time for our friends in Oz today as they deal with this tragedy and we should consider our posts so we do not add to their hurt as we discuss this accident.
As always we should strive to learn from tragedy so they might be prevented in the future.....which requires they be analyzed to determine what happened and why so we can obtain a "Lessons Learned" and make use of them.
Also as always, the questions shall be asked to explain how this collision occurred and why the two pilots did not see the other aircraft in time to take evasive action to avoid the collision.
The un-official Rotorheads Accident Investigation process shall ask some relevant questions among a host of non-relevant questions and comments with the chore of focusing upon the relevant being made difficult as a result.
Recent discussion about a Sightseeing EC-130 crash discussed the "Pilot on the Left" thing in much detail and should not be an issue here except for where it bears upon the departing aircraft's Pilot being able to see to his right and his view not be blocked for some reason.
If the landing pilot was seated on the left then he should have had a clear view of the departing aircraft but apparently did not see that aircraft as it departed.
Local procedures and operating SOP's are going to be a key point in this investigation I would think.
Were the two aircraft on a common frequency and making position reports and declaring their intentions.....did the departing aircraft make a call....did the airborne aircraft make a call?
Is there a common traffic pattern used by the sight seeing aircraft so routings of all aircraft would be done so as to minimize conflicts?
One thing I noticed re the Rescue services....they seemed to be very well equipped to move the wreckage to access the victims.
This is a sad time for our friends in Oz today as they deal with this tragedy and we should consider our posts so we do not add to their hurt as we discuss this accident.
As always we should strive to learn from tragedy so they might be prevented in the future.....which requires they be analyzed to determine what happened and why so we can obtain a "Lessons Learned" and make use of them.
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Ah, OK. Wondering about it not so much for RA s but more as a "what's around me" display; to double or triple check before lifting off. A sort of third eye to assist pilots of such operations where arrival and departure routes might be fluid and not necessarily closely defined.
https://www.seaerospace.com/document...skywatchpg.pdf
While TCAS can be found in some helicopters they have been using a traffic alert system (TAS) in helicopters for years in various areas. After a number of mid-airs in the GOM they installed TAS systems in most helicopters 20+ years ago. It worked provided the other aircraft had their transponder on.
Nasty accident. Do they fly agreed patterns with app/dep sectors?
What was the purpose of the landing on the sandbar, does anyone know? Is it staging waiting for a pad to clear for landing or similar, or just a part of the experience.
My deepest condolences to all involved, a very tragic start to the new year.
My deepest condolences to all involved, a very tragic start to the new year.
While TCAS can be found in some helicopters they have been using a traffic alert system (TAS) in helicopters for years in various areas. After a number of mid-airs in the GOM they installed TAS systems in most helicopters 20+ years ago. It worked provided the other aircraft had their transponder on.
Here in the US with the ADS-B OUT mandate, operators have the option to add ADS-B IN, which might have helped with SA of the two aircraft, TCAS, TAS (which has very limited coverage here in the US) and ADS-B all share the issue that the two aircraft transponders must be able to either see the ground station (TAS, ADS-B IN) or each other (TCAS or ADS-B IN). It was not mandated for both lower and upper (diversity antennas, just the lower antenna.
I feel like FLARM with audible alerts would have been best in this situation, unless there’s a TCAS/ADSB solution with audible alerts that get more aggressive as you get closer as they were operating in very close proximity and would have known that the other was there to at least some extent. I doubt they would be head down watching a tiny screen like the one posted above of it was fitted.
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How does Seaworld manage to run up to 100 flights per day, carrying up to 700 passengers using a nod and a wink for ATC?
Questions are being asked about policies and procedures, or rather lack of them that may form the basis for what happened.
The cause is much deeper than the flying skills of both pilots.
Questions are being asked about policies and procedures, or rather lack of them that may form the basis for what happened.
The cause is much deeper than the flying skills of both pilots.
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As I mentioned earlier, procedures (RT and flight paths) and lookout (or lack of it) are the key issues here. Places can have very busy VFR traffic safely operating but it requires discipline and awareness.
It only needs one person to cuff it or go off-piste and you have a problem.
It only needs one person to cuff it or go off-piste and you have a problem.
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How does Seaworld manage to run up to 100 flights per day, carrying up to 700 passengers using a nod and a wink for ATC?
Questions are being asked about policies and procedures, or rather lack of them that may form the basis for what happened.
The cause is much deeper than the flying skills of both pilots.
Questions are being asked about policies and procedures, or rather lack of them that may form the basis for what happened.
The cause is much deeper than the flying skills of both pilots.
I draw your attention to CASA AC 91
and
https://www.casa.gov.au/operations-s...olled-airspace
Condolences to all affected.
Operations in the vicinity of non-controlled aerodromes
and
https://www.casa.gov.au/operations-s...olled-airspace
Condolences to all affected.
Originally Posted by [email protected]
As I mentioned earlier, procedures (RT and flight paths) and lookout (or lack of it) are the key issues here. Places can have very busy VFR traffic safely operating but it requires discipline and awareness.
It only needs one person to cuff it or go off-piste and you have a problem.
It only needs one person to cuff it or go off-piste and you have a problem.
The ATSB thanks you for your thorough and complete accident investigation.
You may be correct or, perhaps you don't have all the facts and there are other factors that were key in facilitating such a horrible accident.
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Many years back, I took a scenic flight in the former Sea World Long Ranger, VH-UTL as a helicopter enthusiast as much as anything. For others who are unfamiliar with the Sea World site, their original helipad was accessed from within the theme park itself and was built on pylons over the water. That is the one that video shows was used by the departing EC 130B4 which was most likely VH-XKQ. A short distance south of that pad was their hangar facility which could accommodate three helicopters each on its own dolly that could be rolled out to a further helipad on pylons and also over the water (see Helicopters Australasia Jan/Feb 1999 issue). I am not sure if this is still used to hangar helicopters. Further south again, and effectively outside the 'theme park' boundary is a newer facility with four landing pads and newer hangar(s). Google Maps satellite view doesn't show that facility yet, rather only a single helipad earlier on. See attached screen shots stitched together from one of the videos in a link I provided earlier.
Going by the apparent flight paths in the video footage, my feeling is that VH-XH9 may have been approaching one of the helipads of the newer facility while VH-XKQ crossed its path on its departure. In the screen shots, it is as if the older helipads might be marked "X" rather than the usual "H". I recently came across an emergency helipad elsewhere in Australia where the original "H" marking was overpainted with "X" suggesting it was no longer in use. Was it perhaps intended for a period that those earlier Sea World pads were no longer intended to be used?
Going by the apparent flight paths in the video footage, my feeling is that VH-XH9 may have been approaching one of the helipads of the newer facility while VH-XKQ crossed its path on its departure. In the screen shots, it is as if the older helipads might be marked "X" rather than the usual "H". I recently came across an emergency helipad elsewhere in Australia where the original "H" marking was overpainted with "X" suggesting it was no longer in use. Was it perhaps intended for a period that those earlier Sea World pads were no longer intended to be used?
If you look t the video that the member of the public shot through the fence the EC130 that was taking off took off from the old pad closest to the ticket booth, the one closest to the admin building and the inbound 130 was approaching in a left hand turn for one of the pads in front of the hangar
TCAS --- in this environment, it would be calling TRAFFIC TRAFFIC every couple of minutes, which would drive you nuts, likewise but less so, departure calls, but that's the job, and handled well in places like Vagas where in the old days 7 or 8 helicopters depart at the same time, for Grand Canyon tours and the like, and is probably happening again.
Surviving pilot ---- what an amazing job that person did given the circumstances, and the damage, to get that aircraft down safely, many pilots have crashed under less strenuous conditions
ATSB --- I don't know the age of the EC130's but don't they all have in cockpit video camera?
Lets not forget we are all human; a monentary lapse; looking in to the sun, a distraction from a passanger, "Hey my doors open" "Hey I'm going to puke" "Hey I left my camera on the helicopters step" "My phone just fell under your controls"
Surviving pilot ---- what an amazing job that person did given the circumstances, and the damage, to get that aircraft down safely, many pilots have crashed under less strenuous conditions
ATSB --- I don't know the age of the EC130's but don't they all have in cockpit video camera?
Lets not forget we are all human; a monentary lapse; looking in to the sun, a distraction from a passanger, "Hey my doors open" "Hey I'm going to puke" "Hey I left my camera on the helicopters step" "My phone just fell under your controls"
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