Air crash in 'perfect conditions'

The crash which claimed the lives of a helicopter pilot and another man in Mt Aspiring National Park yesterday morning happened in perfect flying conditions.

A local resident said there had been a light frost early yesterday morning, which gave way to a "beautiful morning" for flying.

The Canadian-born pilot, 29, had left Wanaka Airport in a Robinson 22 helicopter, owned by Wanaka Helicopters, at 8.30am for a private flight with a 61-year-old American acquaintance who was due to leave the country this week.

Wanaka Helicopters owner Simon Spencer-Bower said the young pilot, who needed 50 more hours of flying to get a commercial licence, filed a flight plan in which he stated he would be back by 9.45am.

When he had not returned by that time, the company sent someone out to fly the route the pilot should have taken.

A pilot noticed a fire burning in tussock near Homestead Peak, west of Lake Wanaka. Thinking the fire might be on Mt Aspiring Station, authorities contacted John Aspinall asking him to check his property.

Mr Aspinall said he drove for about 5km before seeing smoke and up to half a hectare of tussock burning.

He returned home and called DoC, which sent out a helicopter with a monsoon bucket to extinguish the fire. As it arrived, the wreckage was found.

Search and Rescue members arrived at the scene to find the helicopter had sustained extensive fire damage.

The steep terrain and growing winds made the operation to recover the bodies difficult. They were finally retrieved last night by the Police Recovery team and Alpine Cliff Rescue from Wanaka.

Civil Aviation Authority spokesman Bill Sommer said two investigators were expected to arrive in Wanaka today and will visit the crash site tomorrow.

The wreckage will remain on the mountain until the investigation is over.

Mr Spencer-Bower said it was the company's first fatal accident in its 26- year history.