Inquest into Sea World Helicopter Crash Reveals Pilots Breakdown and Cocaine UseAn inquest into a fatal helicopter crash at Sea World has uncovered that the chief pilot, Ashley Jenkinson, experienced a breakdown weeks before the accident. Jenkinson, who died along with three others in the January second, twenty twenty-three collision, reportedly told his partner he was under immense pressure to train new crews for the busy Christmas season. The crash involved two Sea World Helicopters during a scenic flight, claiming the lives of British couple Ron and Diane Hughes, and Sydney mother Vanessa Tadros, in addition to Jenkinson.Jenkinsons fiancée, Kosha Richardson-Johnson, testified that he was frequently working late, sometimes until ten PM, multiple nights a week. She recounted finding him crying in their wardrobe, where he expressed the overwhelming pressure he felt. Richardson-Johnson also mentioned that Jenkinson often spoke of the stress surrounding new helicopters needing engineering and his struggle to find enough staff to induct ground crews.The inquest also heard details about Jenkinsons cocaine use. Richardson-Johnson recalled him using cocaine at a New Years Eve party at their home. A close friend, Stephen Gill, and the companys marketing manager, Ross Meadows, both testified to seeing Jenkinson with cocaine at the same party. Meadows, who described Jenkinson as a phenomenal pilot, stated that while he had seen him use cocaine sporadically in social settings, he did not believe it posed a danger to his flying or warranted reporting to the company.According to officials, the Australian Transport Safety Bureau, which investigated the crash, concluded that Jenkinsons cocaine use was unlikely to have affected his flying skills. In a separate development, Sea World Helicopters recently agreed to settle a civil claim with Richardson-Johnson. The claim centered on allegations of negligence due to poor work practices and a lack of reasonable safety precautions. Thirty percent of the undisclosed settlement will go to the couples son, Kayden, with Richardson-Johnson receiving the remainder.The inquest continues, with Sea World Helicopters chief executive Brett Newman and director Orr-Campbell scheduled to give evidence next week. The companys request for a delay until February, citing five thousand pages of new material, was rejected by the coroner. Nicholas Tadros, who lost his mother and his leg in the crash, bravely attended the inquest this week.

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