The Front Page: How dangerous are helicopters - and why are more of us trying to fly them?

Helicopters are a popular but dangerous form of transport. Photo / File

A horror crash on Australia’s Gold Coast served as a reminder of the dangers involved in flying a helicopter in this part of the world.

While this tragedy happened across the Tasman, it could just as easily have happened in New Zealand. This country also has a long catalogue of helicopter crashes and close calls in its history.

In December, emergency services were called to a helicopter crash near Kai Iwi, Whanganui. And in the past week, we’ve also seen reports of a near-miss in Queenstown. Data from the end of 2018 showed that New Zealand had about 20 accidents per 100,000 hours flown. At the time, the country had about 900 helicopters flying about 250,000 hours annually.

Aviation commentator Peter Clark tells The Front Page podcast that data shows that helicopters are inherently more unsafe than other aircraft.

“There are a lot of helicopters in New Zealand per capita and we operate choppers in conditions that may be less favourable and pilots sometimes take risks,” says Clark.

The number of helicopters and hours flown looks set to increase as recreational travel picks up rapidly. Newsroom recently reported Auckland’s Waiheke Island has gone from 20 helipads in 2019 to 61 now. And more helicopters are flying to other holiday hotspots across Northland.

Clark says it isn’t surprising to see wealthy New Zealanders look for ways to escape the gridlock traffic in and out of Auckland. If this is managed appropriately with sufficient safety protocols and well-trained pilots, then the risk of tragedy should be limited.

“The congestion and infrastructure in New Zealand are causing the top end of the market to use a helicopter,” says Clark.

“There’s no problem if everything is well planned, the approach is unrestricted and we should only be using modern twin-engine machines. I don’t see any [greater] risk in the helipads, but when you have more and more helicopters, there is an increase in the possibility that an accident may take place.”

Clark explains that avoiding tragedy will largely depend on skilled pilots making good decisions and not taking unnecessary risks.

The influx of helicopters has also had a social impact, with community members vocal in their opposition to new helipad applications – and this fight isn’t likely to subside any time soon, particularly when the mode of transportation is perceived as dangerous.

So what are the main causes of helicopter crashes in Aotearoa? Exactly how dangerous are helicopters compared to other modes of transport? Are regulators permitting too many new helipads around the country? Do we have enough pilots to meet the growing recreational demand? And should Kiwis think twice before boarding a chopper for a quick spin?

Listen to the full episode of The Front Page podcast to hear Clark address all these issues and also offer some tips on what to consider before getting on a helicopter.