Tipweight I have some photo's of the event taken during the drama then the next morning.Don't know how to post them here.
A colleauge of mine & good mate who worked within the same organisation as SD reckoned she was coming under increasing pressure from the Trust to accept more tasking's that were coming up at night. There was alot of jobs that were getting turned down. It is a SPVFR operation.Still is.
The motor-cycle victim was not in danger of dying.He had a broken leg. In any case flying to Masterton Hospital from Wellington is a cinch day or night in marginal conditions still maintaining VFR met minima. Outta Wellington Airport then turn left in Palliser Bay over Lake Wairarapa,Featherston,Greytown,Caterton and hey presto; Masterton looms large. Lake Wairarapa is damn near sea level and I think Masterton aerodrome is only 6 hundy amsl.
Apparently an engineering firm in New Plymouth has made a whole BK out of this on (was written off) and one that had struck an overpass on Aucklands southern motorway. I don't think it was flying down the southern motorway at the time but in my little fantasy world it was.......................