| Date: | 02-JAN-2023 |
| Time: | 13:59 |
| Type: |  Eurocopter EC 130B4 |
| Owner/operator: | Sea World Helicopters Pty Ltd |
| Registration: | VH-XKQ |
| MSN: | 4639 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 4 / Occupants: 7 |
| Other fatalities: | 0 |
| Aircraft damage: | Written off (damaged beyond repair) |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | near Sea World Heliport (YSWD), Main Beach, QLD -
 Australia
|
| Phase: | Initial climb |
| Nature: | Passenger - Non-Scheduled/charter/Air Taxi |
| Departure airport: | Sea World Heliport, QLD (YSWD) |
| Sea World Heliport, QLD (YSWD) | |
| Investigating agency: | ATSB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Information is only available from news, social media or unofficial sources |
Two Eurocopter EC 130B4 helicopters of Sea World Helicopters suffered a mid-air collision near Sea World Heliport (YSWD), Main Beach, Queensland.
VH-XKQ was departing Sea World Heliport when it was struck by the approaching VH-XH9 and it crashed nose down onto a sand bank and VH-XH9 made an emergency landing on the same sand bank with severe damage to the cockpit section.
Four of the seven occupants died and three received critical injuries. Five of the six occupants of the VH-XH9 received minor injuries by cockpit glass debris.
Ex PK-URR, ZK-IJV
https://www.9news.com.au/national/gold-coast-helicopters-major-incident-main-beach/a0cce383-ae23-47ae-ba3f-180e8129ef48
https://www.skynews.com.au/australia-news/watch-live-qld-police-give-update-after-two-helicopters-collided-and-crashed-on-the-gold-coast/news-story/422e2b5f6e808af51ff0a22e0cac8f65
https://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/national/queensland/helicopters-crash-on-gold-coast-20230102-p5c9ws.html
https://www.news.com.au/travel/travel-updates/incidents/two-helicopters-reportedly-crash-into-each-other-near-sea-world-on-the-gold-coast/news-story/15620308ba3c8015cdfff0538766c94f
https://7news.com.au/news/gold-coast/grave-fears-as-helicopters-collide-near-sea-world-c-9331876
https://flightaware.com/live/flight/VHXKQ/history/20230102/0152Z/YSWD/YSWD
https://www.atsb.gov.au/publications/investigation_reports/2023/report/ao-2023-001
BREAKING NEWS on the deadly helicopter collision on the Gold Coast. A warning to some viewers who may find the vision distressing. This is the moment of impact just outside Sea World where the two choppers collided. At least four people have been killed. #7NEWS pic.twitter.com/iCGE6F0Lsa
— 7NEWS Melbourne (@7NewsMelbourne) January 2, 2023
#BREAKING: Channel 9 has published video that shows the Gold Coast helicopter crash, though they’ve cut it off before the moment of impact
— Leonardo Puglisi (@Leo_Puglisi6) January 2, 2023
Families were waving to the passengers and witnessed the crash happen @6NewsAU pic.twitter.com/gkumxc3m7k
Four dead in mid-air helicopter collision over Gold Coast, Australia https://t.co/gyTQfzZQo8
— BBC News (World) (@BBCWorld) January 2, 2023
At least four people are dead and many more injured in a twin helicopter crash at Sea World.
— 9News Melbourne (@9NewsMelb) January 2, 2023
The mid-air collision unfolded in front of hundreds of people enjoying a day at the Gold Coast theme park. @JayneAzzo #9News pic.twitter.com/c2OC4XWoRn
Two British citizens were among the four people killed in a mid-air helicopter collision in Australia https://t.co/MphvVhetCo pic.twitter.com/oPCRaO168s
— Reuters (@Reuters) January 3, 2023
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 02-Jan-2023 05:05 | Pineapple | Added |
| 02-Jan-2023 05:07 | Pineapple | Updated [Time] |
| 02-Jan-2023 07:28 | freddocat | Updated [Aircraft type, Registration, Cn, Operator, Source] |
| 02-Jan-2023 07:39 | joehupp2004 | Updated [Total fatalities, Total occupants, Phase, Source] |
| 02-Jan-2023 07:51 | harro | Updated [Aircraft type, Operator, Source, Category] |
| 02-Jan-2023 07:59 | harro | Updated [Other fatalities, Nature, Departure airport, Embed code, Narrative] |
| 02-Jan-2023 08:11 | Pineapple | Updated [Operator, Other fatalities, Location, Nature, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Embed code, Narrative, Category] |
| 02-Jan-2023 12:29 | Aerossurance | Updated [Source, Embed code] |
| 02-Jan-2023 17:12 | RobertMB | Updated [Time, Location, Phase, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Embed code, Narrative] |
| 02-Jan-2023 20:10 | Aerossurance | Updated [Narrative] |
| 03-Jan-2023 07:30 | Anon. | Updated [Phase, Narrative] |
| 03-Jan-2023 13:54 | Aerossurance | Updated [Embed code] |
| 04-Jan-2023 07:53 | harro | Updated [Embed code, Narrative] |
| 04-Jan-2023 13:51 | Iceman 29 | Updated [Embed code] |
| 04-Jan-2023 13:56 | Iceman 29 | Updated [Embed code] |
| 07-Jan-2023 18:13 | Aerossurance | Updated [Embed code] |
| 14-Jan-2023 07:46 | Romeo Golf | Updated [Source] |
