The Civil Aviation Authority has launched an inquiry tracking high-tech night vision goggles used by helicopter operators, amid allegations some were stolen from the US military.
The CAA contacted rescue helicopter companies on Friday, giving them until tomorrow afternoon to hand over serial numbers and identification codes for
their third-generation night vision equipment.
As the goggles are also supplied to the US military, they are a restricted export, with strict conditions around who can buy them.
A US Air Force Sergeant, Leonard Schenk, 26, allegedly stole the AVS-9 OMNI 6 aviator's night vision imaging systems from the Florida Army base he worked at and shipped them to New Zealand buyers.
Schenk and his mother, Jerri Stringer, faced charges of selling the goggles, flight helmets and global positioning equipment over the past two years to buyers in New Zealand, Belgium and Germany.
CAA's rotary wing manager John Fogden said he was aware of 13 or 14 companies in New Zealand using the technology. Each probably had about two sets of goggles.
At this stage, he was unsure how the 12 stolen sets got into the country; whether sold through auction site eBay, or imported through a third party.
"Our main concern is the integrity of the goggles - we want to make sure the ones in use are safe," he said.
A spokesman from the Aviation Industry Association said he understood the first of the goggles came into the country about 18 months ago.
The chairman of the air rescue-air ambulance division, Rea Wikaira, said the community-based groups had "gone through so much red tape" to legitimately get the goggles.
The public rescue trusts had to get endorsement letters from the Prime Minister's office, ACC and the Fire Service to convince the Americans to let them have the military-grade goggles.
The long process to get the goggles started about 3 1/2 years ago. The rescue helicopter trusts were accountable to the public and the CAA would have the information by today, he said.
Mr Wikaira understood 12 sets of the stolen goggles were in New Zealand.
Legally, a set cost between $14,475 and $17,370, with companies paying a similar amount to fly trainers out to teach their pilots.
- NZPA
