Erceg search prompts technology upgrade

One of the country's biggest helicopter operators is equipping its fleet with state-of-the-art technology following the prolonged search for millionaire Michael Erceg.

The 49-year-old multi-millionaire and his companion, Dutch brewery executive Guus Klatte, 38, died three weeks ago after Mr Erceg's helicopter crashed near Mt Karioi. It took two weeks to find the downed helicopter.

Helipro chief executive Rick Lucas said he believed Mr Erceg's helicopter would have been found sooner if it had been equipped with a Navman real-time GPS tracking system.

"It certainly would have eliminated a lot of the downstream searching -- the searching that took place in Taranaki, in Raetahi, around Awakino, would have very quickly been eliminated," Mr Lucas told NZPA.

"So it would have condensed the search area quite dramatically and I think the end result of that would have been an earlier finding of the aircraft wreck."

Helipro had been trialing the GPS system for two years in three of its 23 helicopters but all would be equipped with it within the next three months, he said. It had always intended to make the move but the Erceg search had brought it forward.

It would cost about $33,000 a year, or $120 a month per helicopter, Mr Lucas said.

The units provided instant latitude and longitude positioning information plus heading and speed data.

"This pinpoints aircraft location and enhances flight safety by giving a highly accurate location of where the helicopter was last flying," he said.

"In the unlikely event of an emergency it means we will be able to go straight to the point where the helicopter last transmitted a position report."

- NZPA