Gold Coast Helicopter Crash: Miracle Escape for Experienced Pilot Shane Kroeson After Chopper Plummets to Ground During Landing Attempt
- A helicopter has crashed at the Southport Flying Club on the Gold Coast, Queensland, in a shocking near-miss that has left the pilot shaken but alive.
- Experienced pilot Shane Kroeson, 43, from Jimboomba, managed to extract himself from the wreckage before help arrived, in a scene described as “extraordinarily lucky” by the club’s president Craig Hobart.
- The Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) has been notified and is currently gathering further information on the incident, which occurred just before 11am on Tuesday.
In a heart-stopping moment, the R-22 Robinson helicopter lost control at a critical stage of the flight, plummeting to the ground between a hangar and the boundary fence. Despite the chaos, Kroeson, who was the only person on board, managed to bring the aircraft down safely, narrowly missing any buildings.
“At that point, the pilot just flies into the accident the best they can, which he did very successfully,” Hobart said. “He managed to miss the hangars and miss any property.”
Kroeson, who has been praised for his quick thinking and expertise, helped during the floods in 2022, delivering supplies to stranded residents. The club has been operating for 52 years, and Hobart said incidents like this are “very rare”.
“Within about two minutes, we’d already activated the crash kit, and he was safe and well,” Hobart said. “He’s been taken to Gold Coast Hospital for observation.”
The incident has sent shockwaves through the community, with many praising Kroeson’s skill and luck in avoiding a more catastrophic outcome.
As the investigation into the crash continues, one thing is clear: this was a miracle escape that will be remembered for a long time to come.