Missing $1.7m chopper barely a year old

The helicopter at the centre of yesterday's search was bought new by Michael Erceg about a year ago and there had been no maintenance issues.

The $1.7 million Eurocopter is one of five of its kind in New Zealand and was regularly serviced, said Eurocopter New Zealand manager Jimmy Nels.

The company was in contact with the Civil Aviation Authority. "Until we find the helicopter, we don't know what has happened. That is in the hands of the search and rescue," said Mr Nels.

A 2003 review in Aviation Today rated the EC120B as one of the top light turbine helicopters and a popular entry-level aircraft for successful businesspeople "who are looking for a helicopter that isn't exorbitantly priced".

The magazine rated it as easy to fly and pilot-friendly. It is widely used by law enforcement agencies, and corporate and VIP travel and offshore operations.

In July, a crash of a Eurocopter EC120 killed two deputies from the Sacramento County, California Sheriff's Department. Investigators for the US National Transportation Safety Board found the accident was due to an incorrectly-installed fuel control unit.

– HERALD ON SUNDAY