Dreamworld helicopter crash 2009: How hero pilot Mutsumi Sato save passengers

A hero pilot saved the lives of his four passengers when his crippled helicopter came close to crashing into one of the Gold Coast’s busiest theme parks. This is the astonishing true story.

A HERO pilot saved the lives of his four passengers when his crippled helicopter came close to crashing into one of the Gold Coast’s busiest theme parks.

Mutsumi Sato was flying four tourists from Taiwan and Malaysia in his chopper 14 years ago this weekend when the vehicle suddenly lost power and fell from the sky towards Dreamworld.

Instead, Mr Sato, who had more than 8500 hours of flying experience at the time, was able to guide it into a crash-landing in the theme park’s carpark,

The astonishing story of survival drew praise from across the country.

The wreckage just after the crash (AAP Image/Crystal Ja)

The James Technology flight, in the Bell Jet Ranger 206 helicopter, took off from the Dreamworld helipad on June 10, 2009 for a short sightseeing flight around the northern Gold Coast.

Everything was going according to plan but things went awry at 3.55pm, just as the chopper was flying above the theme park.

It lost power and began to rapidly plunge out of the sky.

Running out of options and seeing the theme park’s rides below, Mr Sato managed to steer the chopper towards and empty section of the theme park’s carpark where it crash-landed and flipped onto its side.

Jamie Warde helped pull the victims from the wreckage.

Jamie Warde, a Country Fire Authority member from Victoria was on the Coast after recently fighting the Black Saturday bushfires and ran to help.

``I saw it coming over the trees,’’ he told the Bulletin at the time.

``It was coming in quite quick and it was amazing how low it was.

``It was making no noise so I guess it had lost power.’’

Mr Warde said at the time that debris was hurled about 40m from the crash site.

``There were about five other guys already there and we just kicked the windscreen out and helped a lady out of the front,’’ he said.

``We dragged her out and she was complaining about her back and neck.

``A gentleman climbed out of the top of the helicopter and there was one lady walking around the carpark but I don’t know how she got out.

The wreckage of the helicopter at the scene.

``(The man and woman) weren’t saying very much, they were just moaning – a bit in pain. `The pilot was OK … he seemed to be in the best state of all.’’

Mr Sato said little when he was released from the Gold Coast Hospital that night but his boss, Darren Caulfield praised his work.

``He did a fantastic job to land that helicopter,’’ Mr Caulfield told the Bulletin.

``(But he is a) very humble, gracious little bloke … and he just feels he was just doing his job.’’

A passenger being treated at scene.

Police Acting Superintendent Neil Haslam also paid tribute to Mr Sato’s efforts.

``We think the pilot has done an amazing job,’’ he said.

``The wreckage is strewn over a considerable distance. The carpark was quite vacant, which is amazing.

``It appears to be quite lucky that this incident … has resulted in no really serious injuries.’’

A 2011 Australian Transport Safety Bureau report revealed the helicopter had launched without enough fuel to complete the flight.

Mutsumi Sato outside the Gold Coast Hospital.

The Bulletin reported at the time that the pilot “believed he had enough fuel and continued on his way back to the theme park”.

“The Bureau found the fuel gauge may have been over-reading. Refuelling relied on the gauge to determine how much fuel was needed, without using an independent method to crosscheck the levels, which the Bureau called a ``minor safety issue’’, the 2011 report read.

Dreamworld ceased offering joy flights after the incident.