Three die in NSW chopper crash
Thursday Feb 2 13:50 AEDT
Three men have died in a fiery helicopter crash near the NSW central-west town of Parkes.
NSW police said two of the men are believed to be from Parkes, while their pilot is believed to be from south-west NSW.
The chopper came down in bushland about 23km east of Parkes on Orange Road after hitting a power line about 9.30am (AEDT).
The bodies are expected to be transferred to Sydney for post mortem examinations and formal identification, NSW police said.
The Bell Jetranger is thought to have been engaged in weed eradication, possibly for Parkes Council, at the time of the accident.
NSW Careflight's Ken Vote, a senior pilot at the service's central-west base in Orange, said he was among medical crew called to the crash.
"According to police and ambulance sources on scene it's alleged the helicopter, which is a Bell Jetranger type, was engaged in a weed eradication project," Mr Vote said.
"My guess would be that it was probably a reconnaissance for weed eradication and they were probably out on a survey."
As the Careflight crew approached the wreck it became clear the helicopter had crashed and burnt and at least one person was dead, Mr Vote said.
"(Emergency services on the ground) indicated they believed they'd found the remains of two people and believed there was a possible third," he said.
"They asked us to have a look around for a possible third body in the bush, but the bush is fairly thick."
An Australian Transport Safety Bureau spokesman had earlier reported debris on the road and some wreckage in the trees.
Emergency crews had to extinguish a fire at the scene and Orange Road is closed in both directions.
©AAP 2006