Review of Erceg chopper search suggests changes

A review of one of the largest aerial searches in New Zealand has said private searches should work under the control of official rescue services.

Among 41 recommendations to improve search techniques and how searches should be handled, there was also a call for better communication with families when efforts to find a person are brought to an end.

Liquor baron Michael Erceg, 49, took off in Eurocopter helicopter from his Papakura home on November 4 last year, with passenger, Dutch brewery executive Guus Klatte, 38.

Nothing was heard again from the helicopter and in spite of extensive public and private searches costing $2.3 million, it was two weeks before the wreckage and the bodies of the two men were found.

After the official search was abandoned on November 10, Mr Erceg's family was highly critical more was not done to find the two men. The family believed they may have survived a crash although it was later found they had died on impact.

An independent review of the search released today said the Rescue Co-ordination Centre's ability to cope with the "surge" of information the search generated had proved difficult.

However, the review also said it was one of the biggest operations in search and rescue history and coming within 18 months of the Rescue Co-ordination Centre being established, the difficulty it faced was understandable.

Recommendations for changes included:
* Who pays for official and private searches should be made clear
* Private searches should work under the official one
* Decisions to suspend searches should sometimes be communicated directly to next of kin
* Medical advice on the possibility of missing persons' survival should be included in decisions to end searches
* A departure time should be included in flight plans
* Electronic mapping systems should be reviewed
* On-scene co-ordinators should not have commercial interests in the search

The review, by Paul Fitzharris, said the helicopter crashed in a gully on the slopes of Mt Karioi near Raglan in a small patch of bush, 13 metres by 120m.

Wreckage was completely hidden by bush, which had been searched several times by both official and private searches.

The review said the helicopter rotor blades were 10 metres in diameter and, had the aircraft crashed a metre either side, it probably would have been seen in the pasture beside the bush.

The bush was cut on impact but enveloped the helicopter, which did not become readily apparent until there was some bush "die back" several days later.

The report also said several search parties landed next to the crash site but did not see it.

A modern beacon the helicopter carried was working when the helicopter took off but when it crashed the aerial attached to the fuselage snapped off and no signal could be heard.

"While beacons remain an important safety device for aircraft, this incident has heightened interest in aircraft of this type having a flight tracking system installed," the report said.

The report cleared commercial helicopter pilot John Funnell, who was appointed as an on-scene co-ordinator by the Rescue Centre.

He was alleged to have had a conflict of interest because he owned helicopter companies.

"The review did not find he acted improperly. Nonetheless, the review recommends that those with a commercial interest should not be involved in this role because issues relating to conflicts of interest can arise," the review said.

- NZPA, HERALD ONLINE STAFF