The pilot of a Sea World Helicopters Airbus EC130 B4 was returning to the company heliport after a scenic flight in coastal Australia when the helicopter collided with another EC130 B4 that had just departed.
The departing helicopter crashed to the ground, killing the pilot and three passengers, seriously injuring three additional passengers, and destroying the helicopter. Despite substantial damage to the arriving helicopter, the pilot managed a controlled landing; the pilot and two passengers were seriously injured and three other passengers had minor injuries.
The Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) said in its final report on the Jan. 2, 2023, midair collision that numerous factors contributed to the accident, including recent operational changes that involved new helicopter models and new facilities, a defective helicopter radio system, and outdated information from ground personnel about the presence of other traffic.
“The most fundamental lesson f…
