Jumping castle inquest looks to NASA dust devil researcher

A coronial inquest into the Hillcrest jumping castle tragedy is expected to hear evidence from a US dust devil expert who has previously worked with NASA, a hearing has been told.

The inquest into the deaths of the six children from Hillcrest Primary School in northern Tasmania in 2021 started last month in Devonport.

It ran for four days and is due to resume in November and February.

A case management hearing in Hobart today heard Maree Norton SC, the counsel assisting the coroner, is "looking to engage" Dr Ralph Lorenz, a planetary scientist and aerospace engineer, to provide evidence regarding the nature of dust devils.

Ms Norton told the court Dr Lorenz had studied dust devils for over two decades, extensively researching "pressure and wind fields in terrestrial settings", as well as the effects of dust devils on NASA spacecraft on Mars.

She said the scientist was "yet to be formally engaged" for the inquest but, "based on preliminary discussions", he would be able to give his opinion on pressure drops, the effect of the "dust devil vortex", and the interaction between the "dust devil and the castle structure".

Six children — Addison Stewart, Chace Harrison, Jye Sheehan, Jalailah Jayne-Maree Jones, Peter Dodt and Zane Mellor — died, and three of their classmates were seriously injured, when a freak wind gust, or dust devil, lifted a jumping castle across the school oval at an end-of-year celebration in 2021.

Reinflation of jumping castle to be postponed

Ms Norton also told the court that further testing proposed by a structural engineering expert, which would involve reinflating the jumping castle, would be postponed.

Another case management hearing held earlier this month heard the test would check what would have happened had the jumping castle been anchored to the ground in a different way and whether current Australian safety standards need to be updated.

She said Dr Lorenz's expert opinion could influence the test methodology, and the test would only proceed once his opinion was received.

Coroner Olivia McTaggart told the court Dr Lorenz "is likely to be able to provide high-level expertise".

"It is going to assist me considerably to have Dr Lorenz provide an opinion in relation to critical matters which go directly to the heart of my function; being how these deaths occurred,"

Ms McTaggart said.

The court also heard the schedule for next week's hearing block, which will take place in Devonport at both the Paranaple Centre and the Magistrates Court.

Evidence will be heard from Devonport detective Kim Steven, who was present at the Hillcrest oval on the day of the incident, a worker who assisted in the set-up and operation of inflatable devices on the day, an IT expert and various medical witnesses.

The inquest resumes next Tuesday, November 3.