Erceg helicopter sighting reported

Ground parties will continue searching a mountain east of Kawhia today after learning of a previously unreported sighting of multimillionaire Michael Erceg's helicopter.

Yesterday, eight ground parties were dropped on Mt Pirongia, after a woman reported seeing the machine in the area on November 4, the day it disappeared en route to Queenstown.

Incident controller Roger Smith said the southeastern and southwestern lowland slopes were searched.

Two areas of tree damage spotted from the air would be checked today.