CAA investigates helicopter crash

A Civil Aviation Authority investigation is under way into a helicopter's crash landing which apparently started a Buller bush fire at the weekend.

The helicopter ignited after it came down in the Blackburn Pakihi, about 10km northeast of Stockton and destroyed close to 100ha of Department of Conservation land. Both passengers were reported to have walked away without any serious injury.

The Civil Aviation Authority identified the helicopter as a 269c Hughes, registration ZKHMC.

The CAA's website identifies the owner as Hector businessman Graeme Kellaway. Mr Kellaway last month was fined $3000 for operating a helicopter without a licence.

When contacted by Westport's The News about whether he had any connection to the Blackburn Pakahi incident, he declined to comment. But he said the media had got the "wrong end of the stick". He would not elaborate.

CAA spokesman Peter Singleton said the helicopter's pilot contacted the authority on Monday morning but he couldn't confirm whether the pilot had been Mr Kellaway.

"The pilot gave us a report that at 6.30pm on the 21st [January], he made a precautionary landing because there was smoke in the cockpit," Mr Singleton said.

The cause of the smoke was at this stage unknown and would not be known until under further investigations had been carried out.

Fire crews from Westport, Hokitika and Greymouth were called to the blaze on Sunday morning.

They spent yesterday dampening down hot spots that were now under control, said West Coast principal rural fire officer Alan Flux.

Full recovery costs, estimated at around $25,000, would be sought, Mr Flux said. Although, the fire had affected a large area, it could have been a lot worse and fortunately for firefighters the wind was in their favour, he said.

"If it had been blowing from the opposite direction we could have lost a huge amount."

- NZPA