KEY POINTS:
Four men aboard a helicopter that went down in thick bush today should think about buying a Lotto ticket.
A pilot and three Department of Conservation workers, all men, survived the helicopter crash in South Westland today - with two being flown to hospital with injured legs.
The Hughes 369 went down in thick bush near Maori Saddle on the historic Haast-Paringa cattle track about 11am.
Steve Batchelor, who piloted a Solid Energy rescue helicopter to the scene from Greymouth, said the Hughes did not burn.
"But it was badly broken up after smashing through the forest canopy to the ground."
No one could say tonight what caused the crash.
The downed aircraft was carrying the DOC staff into the area for maintenance work on the track - built in 1875 by pioneer farmers in 1875 to drive cattle to Whataroa, a two-week trek.
Mr Batchelor said someone on the helicopter apparently used a cellphone to call for help.
The pilot suffered a broken leg and was flown to hospital in Greymouth for treatment.
According to DOC Hokitika spokesman Ian Gill, two of the DOC workers escaped uninjured but the third suffered a suspected broken leg and was flown out by a backup rescue helicopter from Fox Glacier.
Names of the four men were not available tonight and neither was the name of the company operating the helicopter.
The Civil Aviation Authority is investigating.
- NZPA
