No resolution for fatal Fox Glacier helicopter crash pilot's family nearly four years on

Tuesday, 23 April 2019

The family of a pilot killed in a helicopter crash on the West Coast's Fox Glacier are still searching for answers nearly four years on.

Queenstown man Mitchell Paul Gameren was piloting a Fox & Franz Josef Heliservices helicopter when he and seven others were killed in a crash during an Alpine Adventures scenic flight over the Westland National Park glacier just before 11am on November 21, 2015.

Fox & Franz Heliservices owner James Scott has pleaded guilty to two charges of failing to take all practical steps to keep his employees safe. Aviation Manual Development (2009) Ltd owned by Barry Waterland, who was the company's health and safety manager, also pleaded guilty to breaching health and safety regulations. They will appear for sentencing at the Christchurch District Court on May 17.

A draft report by the Transport Accident Investigation Commission has been released to Gameren's family.

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His brother, Brett Gameren, said he could not discuss the report in detail, as it was still to be finalised before public release, but it did not provide the family any 'real answers'.

'It's a little bit of speculation and I think the next report may have a bit more in it. At the moment they touch on different things, but nothing's confirmed.

'When it comes to the crash itself we don't know a heck of a lot of what really caused it.'

The findings would bring them little comfort regardless, he said.

'[Mitchell's] gone. It doesn't bring him back, it doesn't give you closure.

'I think about him every day and I now have a 3 and a bit years old son, who no longer has an uncle. This little 3-year-old is so much like him, which is good, but in some ways it's painful.'

On November 21, Mitchell Gameren had safely landed the helicopter at a designated spot called The Chancellor. He then took off and was headed headed back to base when the helicopter crashed. No mayday call was received.

The others who died in the crash were Brits Andrew Virco, 50, Katharine Walker, 51, Nigel Edwin Charlton, 66, Cynthia Charlton, 70, and Australians Sovannmony Leang, 27, and Josephine Gibson, 29.