Another one down....
From Stuff.co.nz
The bodies of two people have been found among the wreckage of a commercial helicopter that crashed in Northland's Glenbervie Forest.
The two people that died in a helicopter crash were doing surveying work over a Northland forest, timber harvesting company Rayonier said.
Rayonier's managing director Paul Nicholls said the two employees were contract
Emergency services scrambled to respond to the helicopter crash on Monday afternoon.
They were doing survey work and possibly aerial spraying over Glenbervie Forest near Hikurangi on Monday, Nicholls said.
The wreckage of their chopper, a Robinson R44, was found about 2pm.
READ MORE: Rail crossings and Robinson helicopters added to list of nation's biggest safety concerns
Police said the bodies of two people were located at the scene.
"Police are now working to identify the deceased and notify next of kin."
Emergency services rushed to the forest after an emergency beacon was activated just after 1pm. It was activated off Lookout Rd, in a heavily forested area about 20km northeast of Whangarei.
Nicholls said the company was "yet to actually confirm what [the helicopter] was doing immediately prior to the accident".
"Unfortunately we don't have a lot of detail at the minute. We don't have any clear idea of what happened. Our concern at this stage is with the families - we're pretty distressed as are the family members."
Rayonier manages the land where the helicopter crashed.
Ange Vivian, the company's general manager of support, said earlier on Monday the incident was "really serious".
"Staff from [the] Northland operation are assisting. The coverage in that area is really bad, [we're] just waiting to hear more details."
Robinson helicopters, which make up 40 per cent of the nation's chopper fleet, were last week added to a Transport Accident Investigation Commission watchlist of serious transport concerns.
On Monday night the commission said it "will not speculate or comment on any potential relationship between this afternoon's accident and its Watchlist item concerning Robinson helicopters released last week".
It said it was monitoring the Civil Aviation Authority's investigation into the crash to see whether the circumstances may warrant a separate inquiry by the commission.
"The commission opens an inquiry when it believes the circumstance may have significant implications for transport safety or allow new findings or recommendations which may increase safety," it said.
In its watchlist mentioning the Robinson helicopters it cited the potential for "mast bump".
Mast bump is contact between an inner part of the main rotor blade and the main rotor drive shaft atop the fuselage, otherwise known as the mast.
It has happened 14 times since 1996, claiming the lives of 18 people.
The incidents have raised concerns about the risks of flying Robinson helicopters in mountainous terrain and strong winds.
The outcome is usually catastrophic with the helicopter breaking up in-flight, transport accident commissioner Davies Howard said.