A pilot who survived a fatal helicopter crash in Australia tried to warn of impending danger, a video shows.
In the footage, a passenger in the back seat of the plane is seen tapping the pilot on the shoulder.
Pilot Michael James shakes his head in response, while the passenger grabs his seat again.
The helicopter and another collided, killing a British couple and two Australians on the other plane.
The footage – was filmed on a SeaWorld sightseeing helicopter landing on the Gold Coast on Monday afternoon.
Mr James was able to land the helicopter safely after the rotor blade of an ascending helicopter hit his windscreen.
Five of the six people on board the helicopter sustained minor injuries during the landing.
Three other people aboard the second plane were seriously injured when it plummeted to the ground.
The four people killed are Sydney resident Vanessa Tedros, British couple Diane Hughes, 57, and her husband Ron, 65, and SeaWorld Helicopters pilot Ashley Jenkinson, 40.
JEE News reported that Hughes’ family released a statement saying they were “still in shock.” Ms Tedros’ husband Simon took to social media to ask for prayers for their 10-year-old son Nicholas, who is among the seriously injured and is in intensive care.
Both helicopters were operating sightseeing flights to SeaWorld, a popular theme park on the Gold Coast.
SeaWorld, the company that owns the Village Roadshow theme parks, offered condolences, and said SeaWorld Helicopters was an independent operator.
Investigators say they are still trying to determine what caused the mid-air collision.
Investigators say they are looking into what caused the collision, including the conditions in both cockpits. “We now need to find out what was going on inside those two cockpits at that time,” Air Safety Commissioner Angus Mitchell told reporters on Wednesday.
