KEY POINTS:
The pilot who crashed his helicopter in farmland north of Napier yesterday is still in a critical condition in hospital.
Bay Heliworks pilot Chris Mansell was rushed to intensive care yesterday afternoon after his Robinson R44 came down when it struck powerlines while spraying blackberry just after midday.
A spokeswoman from Hawke's Bay Hospital told NZPA Mr Mansell was stable but still in a critical condition.
He was due to undergo surgery today, but it had been postponed, she said.
The 49-year-old, who has worked as a rescue pilot periodically in the past five years, received a broken arm, punctured lung, chest injuries and burns.
The Lowe Corporation Rescue Helicopter chief pilot, Brent Williams, who was called to rescue the stricken pilot, said the job became difficult when he realised the man he was sent to help was a colleague and mate.
"I have to admit the emotions were going - I felt it a bit, but you still have to get on and do the job," he told Hawke's Bay Today.
The crash happened during what should have been a routine 12-minute blackberry spraying flight on a farm property about 20km northwest of Napier.
Police were alerted at 1.15pm when the Heliworks chopper failed to return from the spraying mission.
Search and rescue teams found the helicopter about 2pm on a farm near a swamp.
Mr Williams said that during the flight to the scene he was aware it was Mr Mansell and was simply thinking "I hope he's okay".
"I said to him `hello Chris, it's Brent here, mate', and he said something quietly back."
Mr Mansell's partner, Paula Walton, said today she was still coming to terms with what had happened.
"It is critical but he is going to come through this," she said. "We are just looking forward to being able to see him later today."
Their children had taken the news well and would be going off to school and kindergarten as usual. "I think they need to do that."
She said it was the first serious incident the highly experienced Mr Mansell had been involved in.
The crash is being investigated, although downed powerlines in the area indicated the chopper had flown into them.
- NZPA
