A combination of faulty equipment, inadequate safety protocols and bad weather may have been responsible for the death of a Queensland floods hero.

Tugboat engineer Peter Fenton, 67, was killed when a crate being loaded onto a barge fell on top of him on Thursday.

A large piece of the floating Riverwalk floats down the Brisbane River during January's floods. Photo: reader Conan Whitehouse

Mr Fenton, alongside colleague Doug Hislop, helped steer a 200m section of river walkway clear of Brisbane’s Gateway Bridge during the January floods.

An inquest into his death on Monday heard a hook connected to the crate that fell on top of him had a faulty spring, which stopped it locking into place.