Helicopter crash survivor's long haul

Survivor Sergeant Stevin Creeggan (left), and being hoisted aboard the Westpac rescue helicopter after Sunday's crash. Photos / NZDF, NZPA

The sole survivor of the worst Air Force tragedy in decades probably does not know that three of his colleagues are dead.

Sergeant Stevin Iain Creeggan was in Wellington Hospital last night with serious leg and chest injuries and is heavily sedated.

Air Vice-Marshal Graham Lintott, who visited him yesterday, said it was "miraculous" that even one of the four crew of the Iroquois helicopter survived the Anzac Day crash.

Asked if the crewman knew his colleagues had died, Air Vice-Marshal Lintott said: "I suspect not."

Sergeant Creeggan was found 25m from the wreck containing the bodies of Flying Officer Daniel Gregory, Flight Lieutenant Hayden Madsen and Corporal Benjamin Carson.

He is expected to make a full recovery, but surgeons say it will be a long road.

"He's moving arms, fingers and toes and his eyes open occasionally, so we're all hopeful that it's on the up and up, but he's pretty bashed up," said Air Vice-Marshall Lintott.

"I'm led to believe it could be a long haul, but there appears to be, from what I can gather, no impediments to a full recovery in time. How anyone can survive that is miraculous. We're just so grateful we got one."

Sergeant Creeggan's parents and partner were at his bedside last night.

Air Vice-Marshal Lintott and Defence Minister Wayne Mapp yesterday met the three grieving families who were last night supporting each other at the Ohakea base.

"They're still very much in shock," Dr Mapp said. "They're coping, but it's the first 24 hours ... there's a lot to sink in yet, there's a lot to think about. There's a lot of grieving ahead."

Investigators hope Sergeant Creeggan will be able to help them piece together what went wrong in the moments before the crash.

Air Vice-Marshal Lintott said the court of inquiry in charge of investigating the accident yesterday began interviewing crew members who were on board the two other Iroqouis helicopters that were flying in formation with the crashed aircraft towards Wellington when the accident happened.

Investigators were yesterday flying above the wreckage high in the hills above Pukerua Bay north of Wellington, taking photos and mapping the scene.

The investigation is expected to take weeks.

"We'll be looking at everything," Air Vice-Marshal Lintott said.

"Weather will obviously be a factor because it was poor weather, but everything from the crew competencies to the serviceability state of the aircraft to the crews' currency and medicals ... .. it's unlimited scope - very broad terms of reference - because we want to find out all the links that may have lead to the accident."

Dr Mapp and Air Vice-Marshal Lintott expressed upset that the accident was among several deaths of members of the small and tight-knit base recently.

"This base has 700 people and in the last 12 months seven members of the RNZAF have been lost and this is affecting everyone," Dr Mapp said.

"Obviously so many deaths in such a short space of time does concern all of us, but there's no obvious causal link between them."

The families of the dead men met yesterday to discuss funeral arrangements.

"It's for the families to choose the form of the funerals, where they are and when they are, and we'll just give every support we possibly can," Air Vice-Marshal Lintott said.