A brand new navy helicopter which crash-landed on the deck of an Anzac frigate last year will cost more than $7m to repair.
The cost of the repairs is likely to be met out of the New Zealand defence budget. The helicopter has been at the American factory which made it
for some months being assessed. Repairs have not started.
The Seasprite was being flown by an Australian test pilot when it landed heavily on the deck of HMNZS Te Mana in Cook Strait in February last year.
The impact wrote off the radar dome on the belly of the aircraft and severely compressed the air frame.
Defence spokesman, Warren Inkster said it was likely New Zealand would meet the cost of repairs, even though it was being flown by an Australian test pilot when it crash landed.
The cost of repairs were announced by defence minister Mark Burton in response to a written question in Parliament from National's defence spokesman, Simon Power.
Mr Power said repairs would not be completed until September this year - 19 months after the accident - and questions needed to be asked about the delay.
"The longer an aircraft is out of service the longer the pressure remains on the remaining aircraft and crews to fill the gap," he said.
New Zealand spent $300m on five Seasprite SH2G helicopters, spares, training and modifications to the navy's two Anzac frigates, Te Kaha and Te Mana and its Leander-class steam frigate HMNZS Canterbury.
However, defence commentators believe the absence of the fifth helicopter was not expected to put an intolerable strain on the remainder of the fleet.
Before the helicopter was assessed at the factory, the air force said repairs could cost $2m.
It landed heavily on the deck of the frigate during trial flights when the frigate was operating in three-metre swells.
- NZPA
