Copter crash reports point to pilot error

Pilot error may have contributed to two helicopter crashes this year that claimed nine lives.

Pilot David Logan, brothers Kevin and Gregory Lee and civilian police technician Glenn Phillips were believed to have been killed instantly when the Heliwork Squirrel helicopter they were in crashed into Mt Karioi, near Raglan, on March 7, a Transport Accident Investigation Commission report concludes.

The trip was to take two telecommunications technicians to service equipment at the mountain summit.

The report, issued today, finds that the helicopter was probably flying in cloudy conditions when it crashed into trees.

Mr Logan may have lost sight of the ground while flying up the mountain at low level in deteriorating visibility.

There was also no reason for him to continue the flight in the prevailing weather, the report says.

An emergency locator beacon was damaged when it was knocked from its mounting in the severely crushed nose section of the helicopter.

It was later found to be turned off, although it is unclear whether this was caused by the force of the accident or it was inadvertently left off.

Although the crash was not survivable, the absence of a locator beacon removed any possibility of an earlier alert.

In line with a recommendation in the report, the Director of Civil Aviation has instructed helicopter operators to move locator beacons from the nose sections to somewhere less vulnerable.

In the second accident, on March 28, Fiordland Helicopters pilot Janey Blair and four American tourists died when their Hughes 530F helicopter crashed at Lake Manapouri after hitting power lines.

The four had chartered the flight from Te Anau to West Arm, to meet a tour group at 10.30 am.

The helicopter flew into power lines on its descent, causing its rotor to strike conductors.

Ms Blair may have misjudged her approach, the report says, adding that she was probably concentrating on the approach, looking away from the power lines towards the landing area.

Although the number of conductors on the power lines made them relatively easy to see, the long span between towers made judging the distance between them difficult.

Two recommendations were made to the Director of Civil Aviation:

*To review the planned criteria for the marking of overhead wires and structures, giving priority to large spans such as West Arm.

*Established structures should be included in the Notice of Proposed Rule Making when assessing new or altered structures comprising overhead wires, and a draft final Civil Aviation Rule should be speeded up.

The recommendations were accepted and the Final Rule was expected to be submitted to the Transport Minister by the end of the year.

The Civil Aviation Authority said it accepted there had been delays in ensuring power lines were marked.

Proposed changes meant only 1.5 per cent of Transpower's main transmission lines were likely to be marked.

- NZPA