Helicopter missing in New Zealand: Jan 2004
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Helicopter missing in New Zealand: Jan 2004
Just heard. A Helicopter is missing in New Zealand.
Thoughts and prayers go out to pilots and family.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/storydispl...ection=general
Thoughts and prayers go out to pilots and family.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/storydispl...ection=general
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Hughesy - Machine is HNW, green coloured C model based in Hamilton.
Was speaking to Over The Top and outcome is not looking good, in dense cloud, at 8500ft using hand held GPS and attempting to make GPS approach into Milford while IMC.
Hope God is smiling on him because **** knows he is going to need every ounce of luck to get out of this. I just spoke to the guy, CM three days ago when he called and subscribed.
Autorotate.
Was speaking to Over The Top and outcome is not looking good, in dense cloud, at 8500ft using hand held GPS and attempting to make GPS approach into Milford while IMC.
Hope God is smiling on him because **** knows he is going to need every ounce of luck to get out of this. I just spoke to the guy, CM three days ago when he called and subscribed.
Autorotate.
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Seriously doubt it, newbie to the industry, first helo from what I understand, but may be wrong. Choppy was telling me that he took off from ZQN early yesterday morning in very very ****ty weather heading for Milford. Couldnt get there so landed at one of the mountain huts, which technically is a no no, but it kept them safe. He was with some blond girl when he left ZQN.
Then last contact was with Milford Tower at approx 8.10 this morning when he said he was IMC, approx 9 miles from Milford but didnt know which direction on a heading of I think either 172 or 272. He was using a hand held GPS and the machine was an old 369HS so I doubt it had anything fancy in it.
That was the last communications heard. Choppy said weather today was absolute crap and supposed to be the same tomorrow as well. By 10.10 he would have been out of fuel. The problem was if he was at 8500 ft the mountains all around him are up to 9500ft and the tower had cloud down nearly to the water.
Our prayers are with CM but the outcome is not looking great.
Autorotate.
Search For Chopper HIts Bad Weather
03/01/2004 06:22 PM
NewstalkZB
Thick cloud and strong westerlies are hampering the search for a missing helicopter.
Last radio contact with the Hughes chopper with two people on board was just before nine o'clock on Saturday morning.
At that point they were travelling to Milford Sound for extra fuel after spending the night at a hut on the Routeburn Track.
Four helicopters are searching all the possible routes they could have taken.
Then last contact was with Milford Tower at approx 8.10 this morning when he said he was IMC, approx 9 miles from Milford but didnt know which direction on a heading of I think either 172 or 272. He was using a hand held GPS and the machine was an old 369HS so I doubt it had anything fancy in it.
That was the last communications heard. Choppy said weather today was absolute crap and supposed to be the same tomorrow as well. By 10.10 he would have been out of fuel. The problem was if he was at 8500 ft the mountains all around him are up to 9500ft and the tower had cloud down nearly to the water.
Our prayers are with CM but the outcome is not looking great.
Autorotate.
Search For Chopper HIts Bad Weather
03/01/2004 06:22 PM
NewstalkZB
Thick cloud and strong westerlies are hampering the search for a missing helicopter.
Last radio contact with the Hughes chopper with two people on board was just before nine o'clock on Saturday morning.
At that point they were travelling to Milford Sound for extra fuel after spending the night at a hut on the Routeburn Track.
Four helicopters are searching all the possible routes they could have taken.
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Spoke to Jeff Shanks wife Nat this morning and she said there are a few machines out looking even though the weather isnt flash.
Hannibal is out there as is Southwest Helicopters, Colin Tuck from the West Coast and a couple of others, as well as Shanks himself.
The advantage that these guys have flying around in this weather is that they have all been flying this area for twenty plus years and know it like the back of their hand.
Everyone agrees it looks grim but since the ELT hasnt been activated there is a very slim chance.
Autorotate.
Hannibal is out there as is Southwest Helicopters, Colin Tuck from the West Coast and a couple of others, as well as Shanks himself.
The advantage that these guys have flying around in this weather is that they have all been flying this area for twenty plus years and know it like the back of their hand.
Everyone agrees it looks grim but since the ELT hasnt been activated there is a very slim chance.
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Search for missing helicopter finally gets off ground
04 January 2004
The weather in Fiordland finally cleared enough this afternoon to allow an aerial search for a helicopter, missing since yesterday morning.
Rescue efforts in the rugged terrain between Te Anau and Milford have been hampered by low cloud and strong wind, but spokesman for the National Search and Rescue Co-ordination Centre, Paul Harrison, said an aircraft was able to get off the ground shortly after 3pm today.
They were continuing to search, weather permitting, until just before dark tonight and would begin again at first light tomorrow.
The pilot and his female passenger, both thought to be aged in their 20s, took off in their four-seater Hughes 369HS from Howden Hut on the Routeburn Track, west of Queenstown, yesterday morning about 7.50am.
The weather was poor in the area at the time, but the pilot managed to climb the private helicopter to about 2600m (8500ft) and headed, in cloud, towards Milford.
About 9.50am, the pilot spoke to an air traffic advisor at Milford advising that he was about 12km from the airfield, but was still in cloud and asked for advice on how to get to the airfield safely.
There was no further communication from the helicopter and no search and rescue beacon signal was activated.
Mr Harrison said rescuers had been able to do little until this afternoon.
"The search aircraft have finally been able to get airborne and do some searching some areas of interest. . . The weather up until now has been pretty bad," he said.
"We've got quite a big area, 500sqkm, to have a look at and it's pretty rugged terrain. They are really only getting to have a look at it now."
The search area was a rough triangle from where the Homer Tunnel Rd turns left at the top of the Hollyford Valley, across to the Milford Airfield, and from the airfield back to the Hollyford Track area of the valley.
Six helicopter search teams flew at a low level through the Hollyford Valley to a position at the Hidden Falls Hut yesterday and were to remain there until weather conditions allowed them to take up the search.
While the pilot had said he was only about 12km from Milford, Mr Harrison said the search area was mountainous and covered in dense bush.
"The trouble is with that terrain, you could be half a kilometre from Milford and not be able to be seen," he said.
The pilot had not filed a flight plan or requested a search and rescue watch from the Airways communication system.
At one stage rescuers thought the pilot's cellphone might be able to narrow the search area. Cellphones search for cell tower sites to find the closest or best reception and it was thought the pilot's phone may still be switched on, showing which cell site area it was in.
However, the theory did not pan out.
"They got a Telecom engineer up there this morning and found that unfortunately it was the other way around, it was the cell sites trying to access the phone to tell it, it had messages waiting," Mr Harrison said.
Cellphones were often used for communication by those in helicopters and light aircraft, but could not be used in commercial and passenger aircraft.
Mr Harrison said he could not release the names of the man and woman and did not know what their relationship was.
source
So disappointing, re the phone.
04 January 2004
The weather in Fiordland finally cleared enough this afternoon to allow an aerial search for a helicopter, missing since yesterday morning.
Rescue efforts in the rugged terrain between Te Anau and Milford have been hampered by low cloud and strong wind, but spokesman for the National Search and Rescue Co-ordination Centre, Paul Harrison, said an aircraft was able to get off the ground shortly after 3pm today.
They were continuing to search, weather permitting, until just before dark tonight and would begin again at first light tomorrow.
The pilot and his female passenger, both thought to be aged in their 20s, took off in their four-seater Hughes 369HS from Howden Hut on the Routeburn Track, west of Queenstown, yesterday morning about 7.50am.
The weather was poor in the area at the time, but the pilot managed to climb the private helicopter to about 2600m (8500ft) and headed, in cloud, towards Milford.
About 9.50am, the pilot spoke to an air traffic advisor at Milford advising that he was about 12km from the airfield, but was still in cloud and asked for advice on how to get to the airfield safely.
There was no further communication from the helicopter and no search and rescue beacon signal was activated.
Mr Harrison said rescuers had been able to do little until this afternoon.
"The search aircraft have finally been able to get airborne and do some searching some areas of interest. . . The weather up until now has been pretty bad," he said.
"We've got quite a big area, 500sqkm, to have a look at and it's pretty rugged terrain. They are really only getting to have a look at it now."
The search area was a rough triangle from where the Homer Tunnel Rd turns left at the top of the Hollyford Valley, across to the Milford Airfield, and from the airfield back to the Hollyford Track area of the valley.
Six helicopter search teams flew at a low level through the Hollyford Valley to a position at the Hidden Falls Hut yesterday and were to remain there until weather conditions allowed them to take up the search.
While the pilot had said he was only about 12km from Milford, Mr Harrison said the search area was mountainous and covered in dense bush.
"The trouble is with that terrain, you could be half a kilometre from Milford and not be able to be seen," he said.
The pilot had not filed a flight plan or requested a search and rescue watch from the Airways communication system.
At one stage rescuers thought the pilot's cellphone might be able to narrow the search area. Cellphones search for cell tower sites to find the closest or best reception and it was thought the pilot's phone may still be switched on, showing which cell site area it was in.
However, the theory did not pan out.
"They got a Telecom engineer up there this morning and found that unfortunately it was the other way around, it was the cell sites trying to access the phone to tell it, it had messages waiting," Mr Harrison said.
Cellphones were often used for communication by those in helicopters and light aircraft, but could not be used in commercial and passenger aircraft.
Mr Harrison said he could not release the names of the man and woman and did not know what their relationship was.
source
So disappointing, re the phone.
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Interesting to see that they would try the cellphone route as everyone, at least locals anyway, know that Milford has no cellphone coverage.
Will see what tomorrow brings.
Autorotate.
Will see what tomorrow brings.
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A report from the New Zealand Herald
Missing helicopter should not have been flying, say other flyers
05.01.2004
By STUART DYE
A helicopter missing with two people on board in Fiordland was probably the only aircraft flying in the area at the time, as weather conditions were unsuitable, flight operators say.
Aviation industry sources said low cloud meant it was not a day for commercial tourist aircraft to be flying.
"It was time to go home," one Queenstown helicopter operator said.
The bad weather continued to hamper search efforts yesterday.
The pilot of the private four-seater Hughes 369HS is believed to be Campbell Montgomerie of Taupiri, in the Waikato.
His passenger is thought to be a British woman. Both are in their 20s and were on holiday.
Te Anau Department of Conservation duty ranger Alistair Pearce said the pair stayed at the Howden Hut, on the Routeburn Track west of Queenstown, on Friday night after the weather forced their helicopter to land.
The helicopter took off at 7.50am the next day, heading for Milford Sound, and was last heard from an hour later.
National Rescue Co-ordination Centre (NRCC) spokesman Paul Harrison said that by the time the search was suspended at 7 last night searchers had still not been able to get into the higher altitude areas they were interested in, because of poor weather.
The 500sq km search area is a triangle between the Hollyford Valley, the Homer Tunnel and the Milford Airfield.
Six helicopter teams from Te Anau, Milford and Franz Joseph involving about 20 people are involved in the search effort.
"We have been searching between about 4000ft and 5000ft today, well below the area we are interested in," Mr Harrison said.
When the pilot, who had about 300 hours' experience in the helicopter, last made contact with the Milford airfield at 8.50am, he was in cloud about 12km from the Milford airfield and asking for advice on the best route through the mountainous area in the poor flying conditions.
He did not sound distressed and had climbed to 2590m.
The only Hughes 369HS helicopter registered in the Waikato belongs to Featherstone Contracting Ltd of Hamilton.
Campbell Montgomerie is one director, and the others are Ian and Elizabeth Montgomerie of Auckland.
source
and similar in this report
05.01.2004
By STUART DYE
A helicopter missing with two people on board in Fiordland was probably the only aircraft flying in the area at the time, as weather conditions were unsuitable, flight operators say.
Aviation industry sources said low cloud meant it was not a day for commercial tourist aircraft to be flying.
"It was time to go home," one Queenstown helicopter operator said.
The bad weather continued to hamper search efforts yesterday.
The pilot of the private four-seater Hughes 369HS is believed to be Campbell Montgomerie of Taupiri, in the Waikato.
His passenger is thought to be a British woman. Both are in their 20s and were on holiday.
Te Anau Department of Conservation duty ranger Alistair Pearce said the pair stayed at the Howden Hut, on the Routeburn Track west of Queenstown, on Friday night after the weather forced their helicopter to land.
The helicopter took off at 7.50am the next day, heading for Milford Sound, and was last heard from an hour later.
National Rescue Co-ordination Centre (NRCC) spokesman Paul Harrison said that by the time the search was suspended at 7 last night searchers had still not been able to get into the higher altitude areas they were interested in, because of poor weather.
The 500sq km search area is a triangle between the Hollyford Valley, the Homer Tunnel and the Milford Airfield.
Six helicopter teams from Te Anau, Milford and Franz Joseph involving about 20 people are involved in the search effort.
"We have been searching between about 4000ft and 5000ft today, well below the area we are interested in," Mr Harrison said.
When the pilot, who had about 300 hours' experience in the helicopter, last made contact with the Milford airfield at 8.50am, he was in cloud about 12km from the Milford airfield and asking for advice on the best route through the mountainous area in the poor flying conditions.
He did not sound distressed and had climbed to 2590m.
The only Hughes 369HS helicopter registered in the Waikato belongs to Featherstone Contracting Ltd of Hamilton.
Campbell Montgomerie is one director, and the others are Ian and Elizabeth Montgomerie of Auckland.
source
and similar in this report
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Helicopter Sighting May Help Search
05/01/2004 04:28 PM
NewstalkZB
A sighting of a helicopter on the day that one went missing in Milford Sound may have shed some light on the disappearance.
A pilot and his female passenger have not been heard from for two days.
Search coordinator Jim McLean says two trampers told police on Monday morning that they saw a helicopter a few kilometres south of where the helicopter was last reported, just five minutes after it last made contact.
A police vehicle is in the valley checking if the weather is clear enough for helicopters to search the area.
He says they have not given up hope of finding the pilot and passenger alive, but the likelihood of that fades with every passing hour.
05/01/2004 04:28 PM
NewstalkZB
A sighting of a helicopter on the day that one went missing in Milford Sound may have shed some light on the disappearance.
A pilot and his female passenger have not been heard from for two days.
Search coordinator Jim McLean says two trampers told police on Monday morning that they saw a helicopter a few kilometres south of where the helicopter was last reported, just five minutes after it last made contact.
A police vehicle is in the valley checking if the weather is clear enough for helicopters to search the area.
He says they have not given up hope of finding the pilot and passenger alive, but the likelihood of that fades with every passing hour.
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Pilot's cell phone still active?...
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Fresh sightings of missing helicopter reported
06 January 2004
Police are appealing for further sightings of a helicopter missing in Fiordland since Saturday with two people aboard as they try to chart its flight path.
Five local helicopters searched unsuccessfully from 6am today for the four-seater Hughes 369HS. The search was to continue until 9pm.
Senior Sergeant Olaf Jensen, of Te Anau police, said that further witnesses had come forward after two trampers yesterday supplied fresh information about where the helicopter was heading.
Hamilton pilot Campbell Montgomerie, 27, and his passenger Hannah Rose Timings, 28, of Cheltenham, England, set off at 7.50am on Saturday from Howden Hut, on the Routeburn Track west of Queenstown, heading for Milford Sound.
The pilot last contacted the Milford control tower just before 9am.
Yesterday rescuers redirected their search after two trampers walking the Greenstone Track in Fiordland reported seeing a helicopter flying south in the Lake McKellar area toward the Livingstone Mountains at 9am.
Last night, another witness told police of seeing the helicopter in the Caples Valley area before 9am – the Caples River joins the Greenstone River before entering Lake Wakatipu's western shore.
Another witness also saw a helicopter between 8am and 9am near Lake Gunn which is next to the Milford-Te Anau Highway.
Mr Jensen said while the sightings were relatively far apart the distance would be short for a helicopter to cover.
"It's a reasonably large area, but in the weather conditions this helicopter could possibly have been flying around trying to find a way to get through."
Mr Jensen said the more sightings that came in the clearer picture searchers would have of Mr Montgomerie's flight path.
He appealed for motorists on the highway and trampers in the Routeburn or Hollyford Valley who saw the forest green helicopter before it disappeared to contact police.
"The more sightings we have the better idea we have of where the helicopter has flown."
Sightings indicated a different area to search than the location given to the Milford Tower.
"He's called in a position. . .but there is an hour between the time he took off until then and with the more sightings we have and timings (of sightings) we'll be able to pinpoint the route he's taken."
source
Autorotate - your thoughts?
06 January 2004
Police are appealing for further sightings of a helicopter missing in Fiordland since Saturday with two people aboard as they try to chart its flight path.
Five local helicopters searched unsuccessfully from 6am today for the four-seater Hughes 369HS. The search was to continue until 9pm.
Senior Sergeant Olaf Jensen, of Te Anau police, said that further witnesses had come forward after two trampers yesterday supplied fresh information about where the helicopter was heading.
Hamilton pilot Campbell Montgomerie, 27, and his passenger Hannah Rose Timings, 28, of Cheltenham, England, set off at 7.50am on Saturday from Howden Hut, on the Routeburn Track west of Queenstown, heading for Milford Sound.
The pilot last contacted the Milford control tower just before 9am.
Yesterday rescuers redirected their search after two trampers walking the Greenstone Track in Fiordland reported seeing a helicopter flying south in the Lake McKellar area toward the Livingstone Mountains at 9am.
Last night, another witness told police of seeing the helicopter in the Caples Valley area before 9am – the Caples River joins the Greenstone River before entering Lake Wakatipu's western shore.
Another witness also saw a helicopter between 8am and 9am near Lake Gunn which is next to the Milford-Te Anau Highway.
Mr Jensen said while the sightings were relatively far apart the distance would be short for a helicopter to cover.
"It's a reasonably large area, but in the weather conditions this helicopter could possibly have been flying around trying to find a way to get through."
Mr Jensen said the more sightings that came in the clearer picture searchers would have of Mr Montgomerie's flight path.
He appealed for motorists on the highway and trampers in the Routeburn or Hollyford Valley who saw the forest green helicopter before it disappeared to contact police.
"The more sightings we have the better idea we have of where the helicopter has flown."
Sightings indicated a different area to search than the location given to the Milford Tower.
"He's called in a position. . .but there is an hour between the time he took off until then and with the more sightings we have and timings (of sightings) we'll be able to pinpoint the route he's taken."
source
Autorotate - your thoughts?
Everything is grounded again due low cloud, heavy rain & TS. The search teams seem confident the aircraft is not above the bushline - the bush will be the main impediment in the search - it's real tiger country down there....
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And imagine trying to find a dark green 500C in there.
Was talking to friends in Queenstown yesterday and hope is fading that they will ever find them. No ELT ever went off and its been nearly a week now.
Autorotate.
Was talking to friends in Queenstown yesterday and hope is fading that they will ever find them. No ELT ever went off and its been nearly a week now.
Autorotate.
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My brother who is chopper test pilot directed me to this forum.
I know the girl Hannah and I guess it's looking grim. But please keep posting anything that might prove helpful in the search.
thanks
Colin
Ashland, Oregon, USA
I know the girl Hannah and I guess it's looking grim. But please keep posting anything that might prove helpful in the search.
thanks
Colin
Ashland, Oregon, USA