Sea World helicopter crash inquest told pilot Ashley Jenkinson ‘more likely than not’ impaired by the impacts of drug use
Experts have contradicted a report by the air safety regulator to say the chief pilot killed in the Sea World chopper disaster was “more likely than not” impaired by the impact of drug use.
The chief pilot whose helicopter collided with another chopper at Sea World killing himself and three others was more likely than not impaired at the time by the impact of drug use in the days leading up to the tragedy, experts have told an inquest.
The opinion seems to run counter to a report by the air safety regulator into the mid-air collision which found it unlikely the pilot’s psychomotor skills were impaired during the accident flight by the low cocaine metabolites found in his system post crash.
Sea World Helicopters chief pilot Ashley Jenkinson, Ron and Diane Hughes, and Vanessa Tadros perished when their helicopter collided with another Sea World Helicopter on January 2, 2023.
An inquest examining the disaster at Brisbane Coroners Court yesterday heard Mr Jenkinson last used cocaine about 35 hours before the crash at a NYE party where he also consumed 12 beers and an unknown amount of bourbon.
The inquest heard he had about three or four “lines” of cocaine but the actual amount and purity of the drug is not known.
Based on this information Dr Katherine Robinson, a senior forensic physician at Queensland Health, said her opinion was strengthened that Mr Jenkinson’s impairment was “more likely than not”.
“I do feel that, given his pattern of use in the days prior to the incident, it is more likely than not that he was impaired by that drug taking, particularly with regards to its effect on his sleep,” she said.
Jeff Brock, senior specialist for the Australian Army for aviation medicine, agreed.
But pharmacologist Dr Judith Perl said she could not say there was a probability he was impaired given the low cocaine metabolites found in his system.
“It’s a possibility, but I can’t say that it’s a probability,” she said.
Victoria’s chief toxicologist Dimitri Gerostamoulos said if Mr Jenkinson was urine tested the morning of the crash, cocaine would have “definitely” been detected while an oral fluid test “might” have picked it up.
Dr Perl said oral fluid tests were very unlikely to pick up cocaine metabolites, which are the compounds that the body turns cocaine into once ingested.
Mr Jenkinson passed an alcohol test on the day of the crash.
Dr Charles Denaro an internal medicine physician and clinical pharmacologist at Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital said there was no evidence Mr Jenkinson was impaired on the day of the crash.
“He might have been but we don’t have any corroborating evidence,” he said.
The inquest, which is currently hearing from five experts simultaneously, continues.
Originally published as Sea World helicopter crash inquest told pilot Ashley Jenkinson ‘more likely than not’ impaired by the impacts of drug use
