There have been no sightings of the passengers and a search and rescue operation led by the Australian Maritime Safety Authority has been suspended.A spokeswoman confirmed NSW Police would continue to search the area.
Emergency services began looking for the aircraft in waters off Anna Bay on Friday night and continued until 12.50am on Saturday, before beginning again at 7am.It has covered about 150 square nautical miles where the radar signal was lost.
On Saturday AMSA said weather in the area at the time the aircraft went missing was "poor with strong winds and reduced visibility.""Air traffic control indicated that the aircraft was rapidly losing altitude when contact was lost, there were no detected emergency beacons signals or Mayday calls," it said.NSW Police Marine Area Command, Port Stephens-Hunter Police District, Westpac Rescue Helicopter, NSW Marine Rescue and other aerial support are assisting with the search.A NSW Police vessel and the Westpac Rescue Helicopter Westpac 1 each sighted the two parts of the wreckage between 8.45 and 9.30 on Saturday morning.
An observer on Westpac 1 witnessed the airframe sink a short time later before it could be reached.AMSA said it was suspending search and rescue operations at midday on Saturday due to "expert medical advice and the discovery of the damaged airframe.NSW Police will commence recovery operations with the support of AMSA’s Challenger Jet.The Bureau of Meteorology had issued a severe weather warning on Friday for the region where the helicopter lost contact in Anna BayIt predicted damaging, locally destructive winds with peak gusts in excess of 125km/h and average gusts of 80km/h-90km/h.
It said a strong cold front from the west was sweeping across the state, generating the vigorous westerly winds.A video published on Brisbane Helicopters' YouTube channel in December last year advertised "Huey Warbird" flights on the aircraft, with "co-pilot, observer, troop and gunner" seats.