Helicopter down in Mt Aspiring area: April 2011

[JezusNut]

Rescue helicopters were out searching for two people missing in the Mt Aspiring area last night after the helicopter they were flying failed to return to Wanaka.

The Rescue Co-ordination Centre New Zealand began a search operation about 3pm yesterday after the Wanaka Helicopters Robinson R22 was reported overdue by two hours following a training flight with a trainee and instructor onboard to Haast and back.

Wanaka police, search and rescue staff and several helicopters were involved in the search, but only two helicopters equipped with night vision and infrared equipment continued last night.

The last known position of the helicopter was near Bonar Glacier and the search operation was focusing on the Matukituki Valley and head of the Waipara Valley in Mt Aspiring National Park, west of Lake Wanaka.

Weather conditions were fine and the helicopter was equipped with an emergency locator beacon, but no signal had been detected.

[JezusNut]

And an update just in........

Search and rescue teams will be dropped into Mt Aspiring National Park this morning to continue the search for two people and their missing helicopter after a faint signal from a locator beacon was detected.

The Rescue Co-ordination Centre New Zealand (RCCNZ) began a search operation about 3pm yesterday after the Wanaka Helicopters Robinson R22 flying to Haast and back was reported overdue. A trainee and instructor were onboard.

An RCCNZ spokesman said this morning that three helicopters would fly alpine rescue teams into the park this morning.

The search would focus on an area about three kilometres south-west of the last known position of the helicopter, which was near Bow Peak in the Waipara Saddle.

Helicopters searching with night vision equipment last night picked up faint signals from an emergency locator beacon in the area. The helicopter had not been sighted though.

The weather in the area was good.

[hihover]

Thanks for keeping us up-to-date JezusNut.

I'm sure everyone's thoughts are with all involved and here's hoping for a happy outcome.

Best of luck to everyone.

Tam

[Chopper184]

Very sad news they have been found and both dead. I know the instructor personally and thoughts are with all families, friends and the guys at Wanaka helicopters

[ZK-Pilot]

Not good news people.. Wreckage and bodies found

From Stuff.co.nz

'An operation is under way to recover the bodies of two men killed in a helicopter crash near Mt Aspiring.
Senior Sergeant Allan Grindell, of Wanaka, said a team was on its way to the crash site, which was in difficult country.
The chopper went down in a stream at the head of the Arawhata River yesterday, west of the Main Divide, Grindell said.
Police were sending a team in to recover the bodies of a pilot and trainee and working to inform next of kin, he said.
A coroner had been informed.
The Rescue Coordination Centre launched a search for the Robinson 22 at 3pm yesterday, when the chopper failed to return on schedule.
RCCNZ spokesman Nick Churchouse said three search teams were airlifted into the back country at first light today and one of the teams found wreckage at the head of the Arawhata River, near the Olivine Wilderness Area, about 9am.
The last known position of the helicopter, which was on a training flight from Wanaka to Haast and back, was near Bonar Glacier.
The small Robinson helicopter is popular in New Zealand but has a bad track record with 190 crashes here since 1985, 23 of which resulted in fatalities.'

[Scissorlink]

Faint signals, guess that was the 121.5,

The 406's needed to heaved in the bin and everyone go to a tracking system.

[Flying Foxhunter]

Terrible news, I was flying in Wanaka a few weeks ago, and flew with Wanaka helicopters previously. Very nice friendly people, my thoughts go out to them all this morning as I strap on my own heli. RIP and condolences to the families

[gulliBell]

The names of the deceased have been released.
Pilots killed in Mt Aspiring crash named - National - NZ Herald News (http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10721966)

[krypton_john]

Crash probe raises helicopter concerns - national | Stuff.co.nz (http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/9874378/Crash-probe-raises-helicopter-concerns)

[SuperF]

Not sure why it asks any questions. Didn't they go to the western side of a bit of a hill 10,000'+ in a howling easterly....

[Boudreaux Bob]

R-22, Extreme Turbulence? No Thank You!

[krypton_john]

Might be a case of the Get-home-itis Syndrome.

[Flying Lawyer]

Link to NZ Transport Accident Investigation Commission report:

Here (http://www.taic.org.nz/ReportsandSafetyRecs/AviationReports/tabid/78/ctl/Detail/mid/482/InvNumber/2011-003/Page/0/language/en-US/Default.aspx?SkinSrc=[G]skins/taicAviation/skin_aviation)


FL

[Art of flight]

Another accident that in reality has nothing to do with the type of aircraft or the conditions, just all comes down to decision making....again.