The fiancée of helicopter pilot Ashley Jenkinson, who died in a mid-air collision on the Gold Coast in January 2023, has told an inquest that he experienced a 'breakdown' due to workload pressure weeks before the tragedy. Kosha Richardson-Johnson testified on Tuesday that Mr Jenkinson was struggling with stress related to the induction of new helicopters into the Sea World Helicopters fleet in late 2022.
Ms Richardson-Johnson described how her fiancé worked 'very inconsistent hours,' including late nights, and that just before Christmas he reached a breaking point. 'I said, 'what's wrong', and that's when he had a breakdown and started crying,' she told the court, adding that this was 'isolated and out of character.' She considered contacting his boss for the sake of his health.
The inquest, presided over by Coroner Carol Lee, is examining whether Sea World Helicopters prioritized commercial interests over safety, including the expedited introduction of new aircraft. The adequacy of the company's drug and alcohol management plan and its compliance with Civil Aviation Safety Australia regulations are also under scrutiny.
Last year, the Australian Transport Safety Bureau revealed that Mr Jenkinson had a 'very low' concentration of cocaine metabolites in his system post-mortem. The ATSB's full report concluded that the drug was taken on New Year's Eve, 35 to 39 hours before the crash, and did not contribute to the accident. The analysis indicated Mr Jenkinson was unlikely to have been impaired at the time of the collision.
Ms Richardson-Johnson testified that Mr Jenkinson used cocaine recreationally about six to eight times a year, typically at events. She recalled that on New Year's Eve he used the drug multiple times, with his final line at about 3am. She noted he went to bed before 10pm the following night and seemed happy and not distracted on the morning of the crash.
Ross Meadows, a friend and fellow pilot, also gave evidence, describing Mr Jenkinson as a social cocaine user. He admitted witnessing him use a white substance on New Year's Eve but said he did not report it because 'that's not my place.' He acknowledged that only in hindsight did he recognize potential safety concerns.
