Parents feared dead after helicopter crash north of Kaikōura

Tuesday, 15 December 2020

Two people died and three others, all children, were seriously injured when a helicopter crashed onto a rocky beach at the mouth of the Kekerengu River, near Kaikōura.

Two parents are feared dead and two of their children badly injured after a helicopter crash north of Kaikōura. A third child was also injured in the tragedy.

The aircraft went down on a rocky beach at the mouth of the Kekerengu River during a flight from Christchurch about 12.40pm on Tuesday. Witnesses say it spiralled out of control while trying to land.

First responders ripped the front window off the downed aircraft to free survivors, fearing it would catch fire.

It is understood those killed were the parents of two of the three children, who were later airlifted to Wellington Hospital.

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Stuff understands the helicopter was owned by Andrew Hamish Davidson, of Kaiapoi.

Davidson, who according to his LinkedIn profile was the general manager at Enatel Motive Power, incorporated helicopter charter company Glenloch Helicopters Ltd on September 28.

Two people have been killed and three seriously injured in a helicopter crash north of Kaikōura.

Kekerengu resident Ian Mehrtens said that when he first spotted the helicopter from his lodge, it looked like it was coming in to land.

“It all happened so quick … It looked normal and then it just started to spiral,” he said.

“It just got out of control so quickly.”

The downed helicopter is thought to be an EC120.

Mehrtens rushed to the scene across the road on a quad bike. About four or five members of the public were already there. The front window was pulled off to free survivors.

He said he carried a young girl out of the wreckage. A woman he believed to be her mother was dead.

The other children rescued are understood to be two boys.

“There was nothing you could do except get them [passengers] out of there. Especially because there’s a chance [the helicopter] could catch on fire.

“We were lucky there was a tall guy down there helping. He was able to reach over and grab the passengers.”

Eyewitnesses described seeing the helicopter spiralling as it plummeted to the ground.

The helicopter was in the sea, which was at low tide at the time.

A tractor dragged the helicopter out of the water, Mehrtens said.

Emergency services arrived “pretty quick”, he said. The first response came from local farmers.

Rescuers at the scene of the crash near the water.

He later described the scene on RNZ's Checkpoint programme as “absolute carnage”.

“[The helicopter] was on its side, and rotor blades and Perspex screens everywhere … belongings everywhere.”

The pilot was about 20 to 30 metres off the ground when he lost control, Mehrtens said.

The Civil Aviation Authority and the Transport Accident Investigation Commission have been advised.

Helicopters flew in regularly but this was not one he recognised.

A police spokesman said further details about the dead and injured, including ages and genders, would not be released until relatives had been contacted.

The Transport Accident Investigation Commission (TAIC) has opened an inquiry into the crash.

The commission said the circumstances reported to date were that the Airbus Helicopter EC120 was travelling from Christchurch with five people on board when it lost control close to the beach.

Chief investigator of accidents Harald Hendel said there may be people who saw what happened, given the location of the accident adjacent to a busy cafe on State Highway 1.

“TAIC is appealing for any witnesses – especially anyone who may have captured the accident on their vehicle’s dash-cam or other recording device – to please contact TAIC as soon as possible.”

An investigation team was scheduled to be on site on Wednesday.

“Their initial work will include inspecting the wreckage, mapping the site, and talking with witnesses. Further evidence gathering in coming weeks and months will likely include examining the helicopter’s components, seeking any recorded data from the helicopter’s electronics, and obtaining maintenance records,” Hendel said.

Three helicopters were called to the scene of the crash, one each from Christchurch, Nelson and Wellington, along with the fire brigade, police and ambulance services.

Darryl Papesch, who is from Fire and Emergency New Zealand’s national headquarters, happened to be in the area at the time.

“We were at the fire station just up the road when we received the callout,” Papesch said.

“We had [fire] services from Kaikōura and Seddon, so we had about 16 to 20 people here.”

The volunteers and members of the community did a good job with the “chaotic situation”, he said.