New details reveal Sea World pilot’s drug use before deadly Queensland crash
Friends of the Sea World helicopter pilot killed in a 2023 crash have told an inquest he used cocaine at a New Year’s Eve party days before the disaster.
Ross Meadows and Stephen Gill gave evidence on Tuesday, describing themselves as close friends of Ash Jenkinson, one of four people who died when his helicopter collided with another on the Broadwater, Gold Coast, on January 2, 2023.
WATCH THE VIDEO ABOVE: Sea World pilot’s drug use revealed
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By continuing you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy.The long-awaited inquest began in Brisbane on 24 November.
The pair said Jenkinson occasionally used cocaine at social events, including at a house party on New Year’s Eve 2022.
They told the coroner they saw him consume a white substance they believed was cocaine from a toolbox.
Meadows, himself a helicopter pilot, was asked why he never reported Jenkinson’s drug use to authorities or to Sea World Helicopters.
He said at the time it did not occur to him, adding he was “not a psychologist and felt it was not his place”.
The inquest continues to examine the circumstances leading up to one of Australia’s worst air accidents in recent years.
Coroners are investigating the circumstances contributing to the mid-air collision.
As part of the formal inquiry new footage of the deadly Sea World helicopter crash had been released.
Originally published on 7NEWS
