Rotorua's rescue helicopter service is due to be back up and running today with a replacement machine while an investigation and insurance assessment is carried out on the crashed aircraft.
The BayTrust Rescue Helicopter landed heavily while approaching Taupo Hospital on Saturday. The pilot and crewman were able to walk away from the badly damaged helicopter.
Philips Search and Rescue Trust secretary David Wickham said the trust had started its own investigation into the cause of the crash. The trust oversees five rescue helicopter bases. The damaged helicopter is at the Taupo hangar for assessment from insurers as well as crash investigators.
He said the $120,000 recently donated to the BayTrust Rescue Helicopter by the Rotorua Trust would not be dipped into for this incident and would remain for operational budgets.
"We pay for insurance," Mr Wickham said.
"We'll work through that process and determine whether it's repairable and that comes back to mechanics - can it be repaired and at what cost? Rotorua was going to be getting a new machine later this year but that is coming from Palmerston North and isn't available until their new machine is outfitted.
"We'll now pull out all the stops but we do have relief helicopters so the service can continue in some form. The main thing is being operational and taking care of our people."
Rotorua pilot Art Kowalski and an unnamed voluntary crewman are recovering from the crash. Mr Wickham said no decision had been made when they would return to duties.
There are three pilots in Taupo and Tauranga who will relieve in Rotorua. While there was no helicopter service available in Rotorua from Saturday night to early today, Mr Wickham said the other bases were able to respond to emergencies.