"He saved lives": Pilot praised for his quick thinking during helicopter collision
Pilot Michael James has been praised for his quick thinking which saved a lot of lives during a collision with another helicopter on the Gold Coast.
The 52-year-old was flying the chopper when it collided with another near Sea World in a crash that claimed the lives of four people.
James was injured during the collision, and yet managed to land the damaged aircraft safely with his passengers only sustaining manageable injuries.
Mr James is now recovering from his surgery and is yet to comment on the harrowing experience.
Aviation expert Geoff Thomas said the pilot’s actions were lifesaving as he performed “an extraordinary feat of airmanship”.
“It’s just amazing, it’s an incredible feat to do that given the level of damage and that he would have been hurt with glass and perspex everywhere,” he told The Gold Coast Bulletin.
“It was an extraordinary feat of airmanship and he saved lives, there is no doubt about it."
“When I looked at the images, I was astonished at the damage and that he was able to land it at all."
“We could have had a far worse situation here.”
Australian Transport Safety Bureau Chief Commissioner Angus Mitchell also praised Michael James as a lifesaver.
“It was a remarkable job considering the damage that was done to the front-left hand part of the aircraft where the pilot was sitting,” he said on Tuesday.
“We could have had a far worse situation here.
“What we do need to know now is, what was occurring inside those cockpits.”
Mr Thomas went on to suggest the collision between the two helicopters had occurred because they were in each other’s blind spot.
“People do not appreciate that, when looking down, you can’t see a helicopter up from the surroundings. My sense is that was a factor given both pilots were highly regarded and highly experienced. It may have been a blind spot situation. It is just a terrible tragedy.”
Image credits: Gold Coast Bulletin