CAA speaks to helicopter crash victim's family

Accident investigators have interviewed the family of a helicopter pilot who saw him killed in a crash landing near Murchison on Friday.

Phillip Devon Heney, 52, died in the accident at 5.10pm on his family property in Shenandoah.

His passenger, Hamish Teddy, 27, suffered serious leg injuries in the crash.

Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) spokesman Bill Sommer said a member of the Heney family had provided an account of what happened to CAA investigators, but further interviews would be conducted. The investigation was likely to last nine months.

Two investigators were at the scene of the crash, 23km south-west of Murchison, close to State Highway 65, on Friday night.

Mr Sommer said wreckage from the Robinson 22 helicopter, which was largely intact, was cleared from the site at the weekend and taken away for inspection.

Mr Sommer said it was too early to know what caused the crash, but that there had been a number of previous accidents involving Robinson 22 helicopters.

"The helicopter was built as a personal-use type helicopter. In New Zealand they have bought them in numbers and started using them for things they weren't designed for, although lately they've been operated more conservatively," he said.

The CAA investigated three accidents involving Robinson 22 helicopters last year, five in 2003 and six in 2002.

- NZPA