Court In The Act: Mother reveals devastating detail after she watched chopper crash that killed daughter

It started as a way to create memories to last a lifetime. An experienced pilot, two excited 12-year-old girls and a family friend on a joy flight over Broome’s iconic coastline.

But it quickly turned into every parent’s worst nightmare as the Robinson R44 Raven chopper plunged to the ground seconds after take-off, right in front of their loved ones.

On board that flight was award-winning tourism operator and Broome identity Troy Thomas, his daughter Mia, her school friend Amber Millar and education assistant and friend of the families Maddison Down.

“(Amber’s mum) Fiona heard the ‘loudest bang’ she’d ever heard in her life. She said it was like a lightning bolt in her ear,” Kristen Shorten told the Court In The Act podcast.

“There were four witnesses at the industrial site when the helicopter took off.

“Fiona said she turned around to see the helicopter spiralling out of control, coming down heavily on Amber’s side.

“In a devastating detail she said she saw her daughter’s face as the chopper spun around twice full circle, and then hit the ground really hard and struck the road predominantly on the right side where Amber was sitting.”

Troy, who was piloting the helicopter and Amber were killed. Mia and Maddison were left clinging to life.

A community was in mourning and an investigation began. What it revealed would shock the tourism industry and leave Amber Millar’s grieving family desperate for answers.

“Broome is a tiny place … and people were in shock,” Shorten says.

“But for some people who knew Troy Thomas and his operations, the crash didn’t come as a shock. It might have actually seemed like an accident waiting to happen.”

Shorten, investigative journalist for The Nightly, joins host Tim Clarke on Court In The Act podcast to unpack the case. Listen now.

Listen to the episode in full below.