<div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>A helicopter pilot involved in a fatal mid-air collision was probably affected by cocaine withdrawal, an alcohol hangover and fatigue at the time, a coroner has heard.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>A toxicologist who gave evidence at mushroom murderer Erin Patterson's trial was among a panel of experts speaking about the likely effects at an inquest into the tragedy on Wednesday.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Ashley Jenkinson, 40, was among four people killed when his Sea World chopper collided mid-air with another outside the Gold Coast theme park on January 2, 2023.</span></div></div><div><div id="adspot-mobile-medium"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/melbourne-hospitals-alleged-illegal-recording-device-775-more-charges/8e5eea20-ea86-4a5a-a77e-855522ba27e0" target="_blank"><strong><span>Further 775 charges over illegal recordings in hospital toilets</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Jenkinson tested positive for cocaine during an autopsy, coroner Carol Lee has heard, but an Australian Transport Safety Bureau investigation found he was "unlikely to have been directly affected by the drug at the time of the accident".</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The pilot was seen inhaling multiple lines of cocaine and drinking 12 beers and whiskey at a New Year's Eve party before the crash.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>He had a lower level of cocaine metabolites than most people who crashed in vehicles, Victoria's chief forensic toxicologist, Dimitri Gerostamoulos, testified.</span></div></div><div><div class="OUTBRAIN" data-reactroot="" data-src="//www.9news.com.au/national/drugs-stress-likely-impaired-sea-world-tragedy-pilot/c3233fd2-763f-4f2d-b87b-4a3d46e30b88" data-widget-id="AR_5"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"I can't come to the conclusion that he was impaired or not. It is likely given the consumption of alcohol and cocaine within that period," said Gerostamoulos, who gave evidence this year at Patterson's Victorian Supreme Court murder trial.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Jenkinson tested negative for alcohol before starting work on the day of the crash and negative at a random drug test in August 2022.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/music-festival-health-risks-food-preparation-poisoning/e31027c5-7ec6-4a88-be04-5ed5625be751" target="_blank"><strong><span>Deadly hidden health risks of festivals revealed</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>He flew six passenger joy flights and had lunch with workmates before his last and fatal take-off just before 2pm, Lee heard.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Jenkinson's lack of obvious intoxication at that time was not reassuring in itself, Queensland Health senior forensic physician Katherine Robinson testified.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"The subtle and fine signs of impairment are only detected through assessment by people looking to test for them," she said.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Jenkinson signed a form that he was fit to fly, but might not have been aware of his own impairment, the inquest was told.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Australian Army aviation medical officer Dr Jeffrey Brock said testimony from witnesses about Jenkinson's drug and alcohol use, opportunities for sleep and levels of workplace stress had shifted his opinion.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"To me, the likelihood of impairment during flying on the day of the accident has gone from possibility to probability," Brock said.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/police-seize-luxury-cars-drugs-and-weapons-in-sydney-raids/df1fe7be-f927-4090-8367-ccbbc9f58258" target="_blank"><strong><span>Rolls-Royce car worth $600,000 among luxury goods seized by police in Sydney raids</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>But forensic pharmacologist Judith Perl testified Jenkinson's ability to fly being significantly affected before the crash was possible, not probable.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"It would lead me to suspect whatever cocaine he used was pretty poor quality," Perl said.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Jenkinson was killed along with British newlyweds Ronald and Diane Hughes - aged 65 and 67 - and Sydney mother Vanessa Tadros, 36, in the 2023 mid-air collision.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>His aircraft collided 25 seconds after take-off with another Sea World Helicopter that was preparing to land at a waterside helipad at the theme park.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Nine passengers across both helicopters were injured.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Sea World owner Village Roadshow Theme Parks sold its joy flights operation to Sea World Helicopters in 2019.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The inquest will hear from Sea World Helicopters executives next week.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/how-to-follow-9news-digital/29855bb1-ad3d-4c38-bc25-3cb52af1216f"><em><strong><span>DOWNLOAD THE 9NEWS APP</span></strong></em></a><em><strong><span>: Stay across all the latest in breaking news, sport, politics and the weather via our news app and get notifications sent straight to your smartphone. 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