The wreckage of the helicopter. File photo / Alan Gibson
A helicopter that crashed near Te Puke killing a cameraman had a history of engine trouble, a Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) accident report says.
The CAA found a piston-connecting con-rod failed causing a sudden loss of power making the helicopter fall heavily from an altitude of about 500
feet.
Though the landing was survivable, the Hughes 269C helicopter then burst into flames.
The helicopter crashed early on a May morning in 2004 in a paddock near the Rangiuru saleyards, killing 47-year-old Peter John Harris from nearby Tauranga.
Fire caused the "almost instantaneous death" of Mr Harris, who fractured bones and injured his spine when the helicopter hit the ground.
Pliot Graeme McKenzie -- who owned the aircraft -- suffered serious injuries.
Mr McKenzie, 35, who was not a commercial pilot, and Mr Harris had set off to film promotional material.
The helicopter looked like a meteorite before it crashed, Morrin Gibney, who helped rescued the pilot, said at the time.
The Hughes 269C was susceptible to post impact fire, and modification kits to lessen the risk were available, CAA safety investigation manager Richard White said.
Modifications were optional, not mandatory, he said.
The CAA has pointed out the availability of fuel system modifications to operators, and warned of the dangers of overstressing helicopter engines.
The fatal crash came three weeks after the helicopter passed its Certificate of Airworthiness, its Annual Review of Airworthiness and had a 100-hour inspection.
Mr Harris was a freelance cameraman, who frequently worked for TV3. He had been shooting scenic views of the area for a local kiwifruit venture.
He was survived by his wife and four children.
- NZPA
