Cause of helicopter crash a mystery to owner

The helicopter crashed on Saturday near the Poerua Glacier. Photo / File

The owner of a helicopter that "rolled over" on take-off in the mountains behind Hari Hari on Saturday, seriously injuring the pilot, does not yet know what caused the crash.

The Hughes 369, owned by Alpine Adventures, left from Franz Josef Glacier with two hunters earlier on Saturday morning before crashing about 10.30am near the Poerua Glacier, in the Westland National Park, trapping the 24-year-old pilot in the cockpit.

A search and rescue was mounted after the Rescue Co-ordination Centre New Zealand (RCCNZ) responded to two distress beacon activations and at the same time notification from Alpine Adventures that its chopper was overdue; it should have returned to base at Franz Josef by 9.30am.

The pilot was airlifted to Christchurch Hospital while the two hunters were taken by ambulance to Grey Base Hospital.

Alpine Adventurers owner James Scott told the Greymouth Star this morning that he had "no idea" yet what caused the crash until the pilot had recovered enough to talk about the incident.

Mr Scott said he understood his employee was "okay", but would need to have surgery as a result of multiple injuries received on impact.

The passengers received minor leg injuries and were relatively unscathed, he said.

He had not been to the crash scene yet, which was awaiting a Civil Aviation investigation, but apparently the helicopter had rolled over, Mr Scott said. He did not know if the machine was either salvageable or repairable.

"We've got to wait for Civil Aviation to look at it... it will take time."

Two men from the same hunting party had been flown out earlier before the crash happened, during the take-off for the second trip.

Poerua Valley dairy farmer Shawn Deane, who farms adjacent to State Highway 6, helped at the crash scene, which happened near his land -- an area popular for tahr hunting.

The helicopter had crashed on a bank of tussock on a small ridge and looked as if it had "fallen off a hill", Mr Deane said.

He helped carry the injured pilot and one of the injured hunters to the RCCNZ Rescue Helicopter, which had been dispatched from Greymouth.

"I didn't really do much," Mr Deane told NZME. News Service. "I just went up and did what I was told really."

- Greymouth Star

- With additional reporting from NZME. News Service