Pilot that survived Sea World helicopter crash reveals what happened before ... trends now

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A pilot 'did not recall' his fellow pilot making a standard taxiing call to say he was taking off before their helicopters collided and crashed, killing four people and injuring nine others on the Gold Coast.

Air crash investigators say pilot Michael James told them he saw five passengers boarding the second helicopter at a helipad near Sea World as he was coming in to land his aircraft with six passengers at another helipad nearby on January 2.

The Australian Transport Safety Bureau says the pilot thought the second helicopter would pass behind his aircraft and he doesn't remember the other pilot radioing him to say he was taking off.

'They did not recall the pilot of XKQ making a standard 'taxiing' call announcing their intention to depart,' the ATSB's preliminary report into the crash said.

A third helicopter pilot in the area at the time recalled hearing Mr James' inbound call, but did not recall hearing a taxi call from the other pilot taking off.

A fourth helicopter pilot could not recall hearing calls from either of the two pilots involved in the crash before their aircraft collided.