Helicopter manslaughter accused to appear in court next month

Two Nelson men charged with manslaughter after the death of a helicopter pilot in a crash near Murchison last year will appear in court next month.

The pair were due to have appeared in Nelson District Court this morning but court officials confirmed they were actually remanded yesterday without having to appear.

Their names are suppressed and they are due to appear at a pre-depositions hearing on October 11.

Philip Heney, 52, was killed on August 26 last year when his two-seater Robinson R22 helicopter crashed close to his Shenandoah home, 23km southwest of Murchison. His passenger, Hamish Teddy, of Wakefield, near Nelson, survived the crash but suffered serious leg injuries.

Last week police arrested two men aged 55 and 58 and charged them with manslaughter, saying the charges related to maintenance on the helicopter.

A Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) report into the crash released this week found the crash was the result of incorrectly followed civil aviation maintenance procedures.

- NZPA