SeaWorld helicrash pilot had cocaine in his system.

Chief pilot of SeaWorld helicopters, Ash Jenkinson who was killed in the midair collision had trace elements of coc aine in his system.

This is supposedly not the cause of the crash.

The medical examiners report states it was consumed over 24 hours prior to the collision.

It is stated that this is not a contributing factor that caused the accident.

Question is if he was partying in the previous 24 hours, how much recovery and sleep time did he have.

Was he fatigued as he had no rest due to being so high, and raving.

Who knows. I imagine this is a cultural thing if he is chief pilot, he should lead by example.

Have the other pilots undergone random drug testing, to weed out people.

Though
www.abc.net.au... aine-in-system-of-sea-world-pilot/103279328

www.news.com.au... a ine-in-system-at-time-of-horror-crash/news-story/441a6421940a58ec428f7b76a78e88da

Though what is odd why was he coming into land on the outgoing take off flight path, crossing into an outgoing flight path?

a reply to: Cavemannick

We had random piss test sometimes every six months and sometimes every month; thus random. You would land and come off the aircraft looking to go home when the piss testers capture you as you depart the aircraft. I never knew anyone who was fired or busted for not passing the test but that was between 1980 thru 2010.

originally posted by: Cavemannick
Chief pilot of SeaWorld helicopters, Ash Jenkinson who was killed in the midair collision had trace elements of coc aine in his system.

This is supposedly not the cause of the crash.

The medical examiners report states it was consumed over 24 hours prior to the collision.

It is stated that this is not a contributing factor that caused the accident.

Question is if he was partying in the previous 24 hours, how much recovery and sleep time did he have.

Was he fatigued as he had no rest due to being so high, and raving.

Who knows. I imagine this is a cultural thing if he is chief pilot, he should lead by example.

Have the other pilots undergone random drug testing, to weed out people.

Though
www.abc.net.au... aine-in-system-of-sea-world-pilot/103279328

www.news.com.au... a ine-in-system-at-time-of-horror-crash/news-story/441a6421940a58ec428f7b76a78e88da

Though what is odd why was he coming into land on the outgoing take off flight path, crossing into an outgoing flight path?

Fixed wing aircraft have to take off and land into the wind. Helicopters don't. Once a helicopter lifts off vertically from the land, they can depart at right angles to the runway, and often prefer to do so to avoid fixed wing aircraft traffic. The Gold Coast airport has one runway that is basically parallel to the coast line. Helicopters that were departing from and coming in to the airport on sight-seeing flights over the ocean would probably be on flight paths that were at right angles to the runway. That means that a helicopter coming in would be flying on an opposite heading to a helicopter going out. If they misjudged their separation distance or the crosswind component, they could easily have a head-on collision.

a reply to: 727Sky

I don’t want to sound macabre, I wonder if a blood test was conducted immediately or days later.

If there have been no random tests for these pilots ever, then that calls into question CASA, the operator, and staff.

a reply to: Cavemannick

This is supposedly not the cause of the crash.

I tend to agree.

I also think the world would be shocked if we ever knew how many pilots use drugs such as coc aine.

a reply to: Boomer1947

The SeaWorld heliport is Miles’s away from gold coast airport.

The have two elevated pads above the water line of the river that passes the venue.

I have watched them on occasions, and the usually have a clockwise flight path, so when returning the come in behind a heli that has taken off.

Though the drug use is an issue.

a reply to: 19Bones79

Probably most flight and cabin crews.

Though here in Australia they go hard in drivers who get caught with drugs in their system, and penalise them hardcore.

originally posted by: Cavemannick
a reply to: Boomer1947

The SeaWorld heliport is Miles’s away from gold coast airport.

The have two elevated pads above the water line of the river that passes the venue.

I have watched them on occasions, and the usually have a clockwise flight path, so when returning the come in behind a heli that has taken off.

Though the drug use is an issue.

OK, my mistake.

It looks like the collision occurred on the strand of beach to the East of the heliport. What you're describing is that they typically fly a righthand traffic pattern there (probably based on the prevailing winds). This sounds more like a conflict between an aircraft entering the landing pattern and one exiting the pattern after a takeoff, which can happen even with fixed-wing aircraft. When the departing aircraft turns right to head out over the ocean, it will cross right in front of the incoming aircraft heading down the coast. If the pilots have not allowed sufficient separation, there will be a conflict. I'm assuming there was no ground control, so both pilots would have had to see and avoid each other.

An of course, recent drug use never helps when flying an aircraft.

I thinki they were in each others "blind spot"...thats why the passenger saw it, not the pilot

a reply to: Cavemannick

The pads are uncontrolled. That means the pilots have to make radio calls, known as Common Traffic Advisory Frequency or CTAF. If a pilot doesn't make the calls, or other pilots don't hear them, accidents can happen. It's not unheard of for pilots to pretty much do what they want, or not make radio calls. The surviving pilot doesn't recall hearing the radio call of the departing helicopter, which again isn't unheard of in an accident like this. The recorders should show whether the call was made.

The fact that there were traces of drugs in his system may indicate that he partied and didn't have enough rest, and may have forgotten to make the radio call, or maybe he just got complacent and didn't realize the other helicopter was coming back when it was.

Will the insurance company cover this considering the blood results?

a reply to: Cavemannick

Your links don't work.

You state that the coorner states that the drug use was more than 24.boure before death yet you seem to question about the pilot partying and not resting within this 24 hour period. Which was it? By your admission there was no drug use for at least 24 hours prior to the flight.

Could you please clear these problems up.

Thank you.

a reply to: BeyondKnowledge3

Sorry about this, I just tried to post other links though they are dysfunctional.

a reply to: BeyondKnowledge3
Hopefully these work


www.9news.com.au... aine-in-system-interim-report-finds/b98fd4f0-b52e-47cb-8839-bd0757085 bd2


www.theguardian.com... aine-atsb-ashley-jenkinson

This is wrecked, none of these links work.

Please if you can google ash Jenkinson coc aine. There will be articles.

a reply to: UnderAether

Absolutely it may even increase the insurance payouts due to pilot and operator negligence.

Especially the families taking civil action.

a reply to: Cavemannick

Thank you. I had to Google it.

www.brisbanetimes.com.au... aine-in-dead-sea-world-pilot-s-body-unlikely-to-have-affected-flying-20240102-p5euq t.html. Trired liking but it is not working.

It clearly states the drug use was from 1 to 4 days before the incident. While I don't think this use was contributing to the crash, the use might indicate other factors mentioned above as possible contributing.

This type of accident and the cause has been covered in the Air Deasters series. I have pretty much seen all of them several times. Small aircraft and not the best life style for the pilot to get rest. Not saying this was the cause, but it fits the pattern.