Rotorua pair missing in helicopter
11 January 2004
Several possible air sightings of a helicopter with two people on board missing near Taupo may lead to its location, a search and rescue leader said today.
The ZK-HXT Robinson 22 helicopter, commonly known as an R22, last made contact with air traffic control at 11.21am yesterday, National Search and Rescue Co-ordination Centre (NRCC) spokesman Jim McLean said.
On board were pilot Chris Barns, 50, and passenger Kim Austin, 45, both of Rotorua.
"The helicopter left Taupo at 11am and contacted the Taupo tower at 11.21am to say it was headed for Te Puke and was at 2200ft."
Police were contacted after the pilot and passenger did not make it to their destination.
"Police conducted a search and asked the NRCC to take over at 11.30pm," Mr McLean said.
An aerial search today by six helicopters was covering an area of 1200sq km, starting 22km north of Taupo and ending 17km east of Rotorua, with a band 20km wide.
"We've had about a dozen sighting and hearing reports of aircraft – some fitting the white helicopter's description," Mr McLean said.
The R22 was fitted with an emergency beacon, but there had been no signals received.
"The pilot didn't file a flight plan, although we have most of the information that would have been in a plan, such as how many on board, where it was going and what time it left."
Today's operation began the day after an NRCC aerial search for a Hughes helicopter missing in Fiordland was indefinitely suspended.
However, ground searchers co-ordinated by Te Anau police may go in on Tuesday, weather permitting, to look for 27-year-old pilot Campbell Montgomerie from Hamilton and his 28-year-old English passenger, Hannah Rose Timings.
Mr McLean said the central North Island search terrain was "a little better" than that covered in Fiordland.
"But there's virgin bush in there, as well as exotic forest, so to some extent we have the same problem."
R22 helicopters, made to carry a maximum two people, were one of the smallest in the country and were commonly used for deer recovery operations, he said.
"It is true to say there have been more accidents involving R22 helicopters than most other helicopters, not because they are unsafe, but because of the way people use them."
Further details of the missing pilot or the passenger would not be released at this stage, he said.
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