The pilot killed in a helicopter crash on Mt Victoria in Wellington last January emptied his load just before the impact to minimise danger to those on the ground.
An investigation has found the crash was caused by a hydraulic system failure.
Pilot Andrew Shaw, of Palmerston North, was killed when he lost control of his 1965 Bell Iroquois on January 15, ploughing into the summit of Mt Victoria metres from the viewing platform.
Tourists fled to safety when the chopper and falling debris landed centimetres from where they were standing.
Mr Shaw, the operations manager for Helipro, was transporting soil from a building site to a truck on top of the hill when the blades cut into the hillside, toppling the aircraft and crushing him.
Yesterday, the Civil Aviation Authority issued a report which said Mr Shaw lost control of the helicopter after a hydraulic system failed, due to a leak at a fatigue crack in a pressure line.
It said the crack "probably initiated from excessive local stresses caused by repeated attempts to tighten the fitting".
Mr Shaw experienced hydraulic failure in the worst situation - hovering with an underslung load. He jettisoned the load to minimise danger to those on the ground but lost control immediately afterwards, "in a situation most pilots would have been hard-pressed to deal with".
He was sitting in the left seat,and the left front door was removed, so he had no protection when the helicopter crashed.
- NZPA
Pilot jettisoned load to save onlookers
AdvertisementAdvertise with NZME.