Helo Missing in NZ
 

Just heard on the news that an R22 and its pilot are missing near Wanaka. No names or company given yet.

check you pm's ned.

Search resumes for missing helicopter

Sunday, 02 November 2008
Rescuers have resumed their search for a missing helicopter and its pilot in the Wanaka area.

The family of the missing pilot reported he was overdue just after 8pm yesterday.
Rescue Co-ordination Centre NZ (RCCNZ) launched a search and rescue operation to find the Robinson R22 helicopter and sole occupant overdue on a flight to Wanaka.
The helicopter was last sighted north of Wanaka.
Marguerite Fahy, from RCCNZ, said four helicopters were searching for the missing helicopter and its pilot today.
Helicopters from Te Anau and Queenstown using night vision goggles and a local boat searched overnight.
Rescuers had a break at 4.30am to re-group and plan for today, and resumed the search around 7am.
Two helicopters would be searching the Lake Wanaka shore and two would be flying east to west, said Ms Fahy. Two fires seen on one of the islands and on the shore had been discounted, as well as an emergency beacon signal.:sad:

Helicopter pilot missing

from newtalk zb

02/11/2008 13:16:06

The helicopter pilot missing in Wanaka is one of two men who were involved in a greenstone scam on the West Coast. Morgan Saxton, aged 31, was reported missing by his family last night when he did not return from a solo flight in a Robinson R22 helicopter.

In February Mr Saxton and his father agreed to pay $240,000 compensation to Maori owners of pounamu they stole over a six year period.

Rescue Coordination Centre spokeswoman Marguerite Fahy says helicopters and a boat were searching until 4.30 this morning. Four helicopters and 12 searchers have been scouring the lakeshore and countryside today

News has just said that debris has been found that is "probably" from Morgans R22 and includes seats.

Still keeping fingers crossed. What a tough end to a tough year for the family.

:(:(

More info Missing helicopter pilot is Morgan Saxton | Otago Daily Times Online

News story from early today here:

3 News > Video > National > Chances of finding missing helicopter pilot alive dwindling

Bad bad news!

My thoughts are with the family!

The thing that P1SSES me off, is when at times like this the media and "others", have to drag up the dirt and publish that as well.
Why can't people show a bit of respect to a missing and now deceased person and their family, there is no need for it!

Rest in peace Morgan, you are going to be missed my friend. :(

Skidbiter. Fill us in on what is greenstone and why did this guy become a "Convicted Thief" .
Most of us dont consider a convicted thief much of a loss, so there has to be another side to this story........



Edit: This thing certainly got blown way out of proportion. Nobody is joyous when someone goes missing or is killed. However I didnt post the add on that the subject of this thread was the "convicted Thief" it came from another. Not knowing the person, I asked the question, "so there has to be another side to the story"
Apparently there may be. I hope that may straighten out a bit that most of us have no clue what greenstone is.
Its also been discussed before that sometimes here folks get threads mixed up with condolences and accident causation. I think if this had just been a thread of condolences only those who knew the guy would probably post. When its open to the world, its going to receive comments from around the world. Curious questions for some, offensive to others. Hopefully they will be read before commented on.
The cause in this case may also draw controversy.
Sorry if I was misunderstood.

Greenstone

P1

"Most of us dont consider a convicted thief much of a loss, so there has to be another side to this story........"
Touching, thanks "BSousa".
You do realise hes probably been killed in a crash?

Obviously your aviation experience is limited to reading magazines and playing games, not actually meeting real people in the industry or even being one yourself.

The Sax family are well known down there, your opinion of the guy isnt required.

Tut-Tut, Tuk Tuk,

Evidently, knowing what you are talking about is not your strong point!

I beg to differ, he sounds like he definitely knows what he is talking about!

The whole family are great people and would do anything for you.

Enough said.

skidbiter - I think he is referring to the comment about SASless not being involved in the industry. Sasless is and has been for longer than I have been alive - he is an old fart :}

And guys, come on, lets show some respect for Dave Saxton and his wife Denise and not turn this thread into a slanging match. Morgan deserves more than that.

Ned :(

Im just asking a question. I dont know the guy from a hill of beans.. Someone else came off with the Convicted Thief story?? In fact I wouldnt know Greenstone if it was used to pave the road........
Now that someone ELSE has posted the story I know a little more and it sounds like the "Theft" is a lot more Political Bravo Sierra that we have to go through when someone finds an Arrowhead.
Dont get your shorts in a bunch, I am not showing disrespect..I just wanted the other side of the story...

Dont think I gave one, read again........

Sad for the family regardless of what he did.
Hopefully they can recover the wreckage and determine the cause. It is pretty deep where they are searching though.

TV ONE item: Search continues for pilot after chopper plunges into Lake Wanaka | NATIONAL | NEWS | tvnz.co.nz

Morgan's body hasn't been recovered yet but I'm sorry to say that it's pretty obvious where he is. Some navy divers are going down to Wanaka tonight (Mon) with salvage equipment and deep water dive gear to hopefully recover the Robbie and hopefully Morgan with it. He was flying his black alpha model down to Wanaka from Haast to do some frost work.

RIP mate. You will be missed.

B Sousa

Your comments don't do you any favours and even go as far as to suggest your level of integrity and professionalism as a commercial pilot - assuming you are one - needs a little attention.

Like you, I also have never met Mr Saxton. However, it appears he has lost his life. Regardless of his past activities - which are not for you to judge, it seems he has donated his time in past search and rescue missions, quite possibly looking for overweight and under prepared American tourists that have needed help in the New Zealand bush.

I am sure he deserves more respect than you care to offer.

DM

A little clarification
 

I'm sure most of us have had friends killed in this game, and have a sense of how awful it is when it strikes those close to you. When a statistic becomes personal. I know Dave, and I know Morgan, who, as far as I know, hasn't actually been found yet. I don't know either of them well, certainly not close enough to be friends, but am reasonably familiar with them, and their recent legal problems.

I agree the situation looks pretty grim. This is a really sad situation. The family has been through some very, very tough times in the last couple of years. Dave and Morgan Saxton were jailed for what in many other countries would be considered illegal mining - aka picking up greenstone, the NZ version of jade, from West Coast beaches, mainly by helicopter, and selling it on the side. Not, in most countries, considered "theft", and certainly not, in most countries, something for which one might reasonably expect to be jailed for years. Against the law, nonetheless, whatever the morality of "illegal mining", "theft" (from the alleged owners of NZ minerals, ie the Maori people) or whatever one cares to call it.

It was a very, very political prosecution, with the South Islands wealthiest, most influential Maori tribe calling for Morgan and Dave's incarceration, and expressing satisfaction at the sentence, in what seemed to me to be a peculiarly vindictive manner. There is a large "free Dave and Morgan" movement, which raised a lot of money for the appeal against their sentence, which many, quite possibly most, people considered to be extraordinarily harsh. They are both out of prison, on bail, while the appeal is considered. I personally was appalled at the verdict, and I sincerely hope the appeal is successful, but I realise this is only my personal/political opinion, and others differ. In any case, Morgan is not, as far as I know, what most people would think of as a thief. Both the Saxtons performed a great deal of search and rescue work, helped a lot of people over the years, and, while presumably not being perfect (who is?), are very respected by a lot of New Zealanders. In common with many people who live on the very sparcely populated southern West Coast, they may, perhaps, have had a fairly casual relationship with some of the finer points of government regulation, but many of us have done far worse. Let he who is without sin, etc etc.

PLEASE don't let this thread deteriorate into name-calling. The Saxtons have been through enough, thieves, not-thieves, saints, sinners, whatever. Enough.

There are alot of Kiwi's hurting at the moment still hoping for a positive outcome but it is looking grim. No they haven't recovered the wreck but will try first thing tomorrow if weather allows...fingers crossed

The very sad irony is that had the pair not lodged their appeal, this accident would never have occurred!