Former Kiwibank chairman Ian Fitzgerald will conduct an independent review of the Defence Force's reaction to the fatal Iroquois helicopter crash on Anzac Day in 2010, State Services Commissioner Iain Rennie announced today.
The Iroquois crashed in cloud near Wellington, killing the pilot Flight Lieutenant Hayden Madsen, 33; co-pilot Flying Officer Daniel Gregory, 28, and crewman Corporal Ben Carson, 25.
A court of inquiry report into the accident, released last December, castigated the air force's safety record, and the Herald last month revealed that concerns about safety in the air force and at the Iroquois' 3 Squadron had been raised in the months leading up to the accident.
Mr Rennie said in a statement that Mr Fitzgerald would help determine if the Defence Force has a robust plan to implement the recommendations of the court of inquiry report, and if good project management and reporting processes are in place to deliver on the plan.
Mr Fitzgerald, who is currently managing director of consultancy firm Burleigh Evatt, has previously worked with the State Services Commission on the independent review of student loans. He has also led performance reviews into Land Information New Zealand and the Ministry of Defence.
