Sea World helicopter pilot ‘had a breakdown and took cocaine’ before crash, inquest told | Queensland

A helicopter pilot involved in one of Australia’s worst air disasters had a mental “breakdown” and used cocaine the day before making tourist joy flights, a coroner has heard.

Ashley Jenkinson, 40, was among four people who died when his Sea World chopper collided midair with another outside the Gold Coast theme park on 2 January 2023.

Jenkinson’s fiancee, Kosha Richardson-Johnson, told an inquest the pilot had a breakdown in 2022 and used cocaine at social events “probably six to eight times” a year.

She said he took a small bag of cocaine to a 2022 New Year’s Eve party and saw him use the drug at 3am on 1 January, a day before the horror crash.

The pilot took cocaine on days before taking tourists on joy flights for Sea World “two or three times a year”, Richardson-Johnson said via videolink.

Jenkinson tested positive to cocaine during an autopsy, the coroner, Carol Lee, has heard, but a Australian Transport Safety Bureau investigation found he was “unlikely to have been directly affected by the drug at the time of the accident”.

Asked by counsel assisting Ryan Nattrass about Jenkinson’s “breakdown” before Christmas 2022, Ms Richardson-Johnson said it came after conversations about him feeling stressed at work.

“I found him in the wardrobe crying. I said, ‘What’s wrong?’,” she said.

“That’s when he had a breakdown. He said, ‘You don’t know what kind of pressure I’m under’.”

Jenkinson had been working long hours to keep up with paperwork as Sea World’s chief pilot and get new helicopters ready for the busy holiday period, Lee heard.

Richardson-Johnson said she was concerned for Jenkinson’s health but decided against asking his boss for a day off.

There was never concern Jenkinson might have a cocaine addiction, she said.

Earlier, two people testified that they saw Jenkinson inhale what they assumed was cocaine at the New Year’s Eve party.

No other Sea World Helicopters staff or pilots attended the party, Lee heard.

Stephen Gill, an industrial oil salesman, said Jenkinson used cocaine numerous times a year and may have taken it in the early hours of 1 January, a day before the fatal crash.

Gill testified he entered a shed at the party about 8pm and saw a “white powder substance” on a toolbox.

Asked by counsel assisting Ryan Nattrass when had he seen the pilot use cocaine before, Gill said: “Four or five times a year. Probably three or four lines throughout the night.”

Gill saw the pilot last use cocaine at midnight on 1 January and could have taken it at 3am, coroner Carol Lee heard.

Ross Meadows, a digital marketing company director, testified at the coronial inquiry in Brisbane on Tuesday that he had been “best mates” with Jenkinson.

He saw the pilot inhaling a white substance in the shed about 9pm at the 2022 party, Lee heard.

“I saw a white substance. I assumed it was cocaine,” Meadows said.

The pilot inhaled a single line of the substance, Lee heard, with Meadows remarking at the time: “Nothing good comes from that shit.”

Mr Jenkinson tested positive to cocaine during an autopsy, Ms Lee previously heard.

He was “unlikely to have been directly affected by the drug at the time of the accident”, a previous Australian Transport Safety Bureau investigation found.

Meadows said he had been taught by Jenkinson how to fly helicopters, describing him as a “phenomenal pilot”.

“He was a very serious person,” he said.

Meadows did not think to report his mate to aviation authorities and did not speak to him about cocaine use, Lee heard.

“He was his own person. I’m not responsible,” he said.

Jenkinson was killed along with British newlyweds Ronald and Diane Hughes – aged 65 and 67 – and Sydney mother Vanessa Tadros, 36, in the crash.

Under cross-examination from Tadros family barrister, Gerard Mullins KC, Meadows said he knew cocaine and flying did not mix.

“An important part of a helicopter organisation targeting tourists is to promote themselves as a safe operator? Did it not occur to you to let them know of this illegal cocaine use?” Mullins said.

“No,” Meadows said.

Vanessa Tadros’ son, Nicholas, was aged 10 when he lost his leg in the crash.

He attended the inquest on Tuesday with his father Simon Tadros.

Meadows’ company had provided social media marketing for Sea World Helicopters, Lee heard.

Sea World owner, Village Roadshow Theme Parks, sold its joy flights operation to Sea World Helicopters in 2019.

The inquest is due to hear from Sea World Helicopters executives next week.