Accused in Murchison helicopter-death case named

Name suppression has lapsed for two men facing manslaughter charges after a fatal helicopter crash near Nelson.

Ronald David Potts and John Arthur Horrell were charged after the crash at Murchison in August last year.

Police said after their arrest that the charges related to maintenance on the helicopter.

A Civil Aviation Authority report found a wrongly assembled tail rotor drive shaft caused the crash which killed pilot, Philip Heney and seriously injured his passenger.

It said one or more unsupervised and unlicensed maintenance personnel had incorrectly bolted the drive shaft.

The two men have been remanded for a pre-depositions hearing on November 13.

- NEWSTALK ZB, NZHERALD STAFF