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Helicopter pilot 'feels lucky' to escape unhurt after crashing into harbour north of Wellington

The pilot who emerged unharmed from a helicopter that crashed into the water at Porirua, north of Wellington, says he feels "a bit lucky".

The helicopter went down in the Pauatahanui Inlet about 11.30am on Tuesday. Coastguard, ambulance and police staff rushed to the scene.

Pilot Rick Lucas said afterwards: "I'm a little bit sore ... I'm ok and I feel a bit lucky."

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Heliforce director Dave Borlase confirmed Lucas was flying for the company. It was not yet known what caused the crash, but as far as he was aware Lucas' flight had started out normally, Borlase said.

Witness Reuben Kunst said the helicopter was carrying telephone poles when the cable snapped and hit the tail rotor, spinning the chopper around.

The crashed helicopter took off from Motukaraka Point in Pauatahanui minutes before the crash, another witness said.

Georgina Russell, who lives in the Porirua suburb of Whitby on a hill overlooking the inlet, described hearing a helicopter taking off making an "odd" sound then racing to her window to see it submerged in the water.

Earlier in the day she had seen a set of road cones cordoning off a section of the bay alongside the water. As soon as she heard the chopper taking off she thought it sounded like the helicopter was trying to fly from that area.

"I was like; 'that sounds a bit odd'."

She thought it sounded like the chopper was struggling to become airborne.

"I didn't see him crash. I did think he was sounding like he was trying to get lift but maybe the down breeze was too strong."

She grabbed her binoculars, and went to her window. She was amazed to see a man was sitting on top of the chopper.

Soon after that, she watched as a canoeist paddled up to him and appeared to be chatting to the man while they awaited emergency services.

"He was just sitting casually - obviously very shocked ' and a canoeist rode up to him and was just chatting to him."

The CAA have confirmed they are sending two safety investigators to the scene.

Olivia Marsden, who was working in the Little Black Caravan coffee shop nearby, said she heard the helicopter go down.

Emergency services rang the business immediately to get information on the crash, she said.

"We could see the pilot standing on top of the helicopter, which looked like it was lying on its side."

Transport Accident Investigation Commission spokesman Peter Northcote said it had not yet been decided if the commission would investigate the crash.

Lucas was the owner of failed helicopter company, Helipro, which was put into receivership in late 2014 owing an estimated $25-$30 million.

The company closed five of its bases, including one at Wellington's Queens Wharf, in November that year.

Bases in Christchurch, Rotorua, Greymouth and Mt Cook were also closed with 31 redundancies around the country, including some from the head office in Palmerston North.

Lucas started Helipro in 1984 when he bought a large helicopter and teamed up with Transpower to help survey and maintain power lines.

The company's services expanded to include tourism and sightseeing, search and rescue, firefighting in New Zealand and Australia and medivac in New Zealand and Fiji.

What started out as a one-man band on a Manawatu deer farm grew into a business with 35 helicopters spread across 11 locations in New Zealand and the South Pacific.

- Stuff

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Witness Reuben Kunst said the helicopter was carrying telephone poles when the cable snapped and hit the tail rotor, spinning the chopper around.

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Helicopter pilot Rick Lucas has spoken of his survival after his chopper when down in the Pauatahanui Inlet, north of Wellington, describing how he ended up trapped underwater with a stuck seatbelt.

Lucas emerged unharmed after the twin-engine BK117 chopper he was flying crashed into the water near Porirua about 11.30am on Tuesday.

Afterwards, he said he immediately knew he was in trouble. "I thought 'this was it' ... I feel a bit lucky."

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Pilot Rick Lucas, whose helicopter crashed in Porirua harbour, is grounded after having his licence taken away, and the company for which he was flying has lost its certification.
The Civil Aviation Authority would not confirm whether both decisions happened after the May 2 crash north of Wellington.
However, an Official Information Act request confirms Lucas's commercial pilot's licence is "not current", and that Heliforce – for whom he was flying on the day – does not hold an air operation certificate.
Lucas is also facing a charge of careless flying related to earlier incidents in the Wellington region.
He is due in Wellington District Court, charged with operating an aircraft in a careless manner over Pukerua Bay and Wellington.
Lucas, whose Helipro company was put into receivership in 2014, owing an estimated $25 million to $30m, was flying for Heliforce on May 2 when he plunged into the harbour inlet while carrying power poles.
He escaped unharmed from his twin-engine BK117 helicopter.
Crash witness Reuben Kunst said the helicopter was carrying telephone poles when the cable snapped and hit the tail rotor, spinning the chopper around.
At the time, Lucas said he closed the throttles and lowered the lever to try to stop the rotation.
"But it was still a significant impact, and I ended up under the water. I couldn't get the seatbelt off.
"[I] couldn't tell up from down until I saw some light and I was able to head towards the light and emerge in the cockpit, so I was pretty happy."
The Transport Accident Investigation Commission is investigating the incident, and its findings are expected by the end of next year.
Neither Lucas nor Heliforce director Dave Borlase would comment on Monday.
- Stuff

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