Flying well after ‘crash’

Press, 29 July 1977, Page 1

Flying well after ‘crash’

Crash crews were mobilised at Wigram yesterday afternoon after an Iroquois helicopter was reported to have crashed on Banks Peninsula. A woman is believed to have telephoned Wigram after she heard a helicopter flying low through

heavy cloud over the Port Hills towards Lyttelton Harbour. She then heard a loud crash, followed by silence. Efforts to raise the helicopter by radio failed. Emergency services, including the Lyttelton police, were alerted but the helicopter was found a few

minutes later when it flew out of a radio “dead” spot. Personnel at Wigram said later that the radio frequency used by the helicopter was similar to television frequencies, and was susceptible to dead spots in hilly country. The helicopter, from Wigram’s No. 3 Squadron, was on its way to Ripapa Island to pick up two damaged sea cadet training cutters, for delivery to the sea cargo terminal at Lyttelton. Slung beneath the Iroquois’ belly, the cutters made the smartest harbour crossing of their lives. Lieutenant M. J. Lepper, administration officer of T. S. Cornwell, a Navy League training establishment, said that the 17ft cutters had broken loose during a storm at Easter

and had to go into dock at Auckland for repairs. The cutters will travel in the Shipping Corporation’s roll-on ship Coastal Trader free of charge — and watersiders at Lyttelton had also waived all charges for handing them at the terminal. While the helicopter was on hand, the opportunity was also taken to land an oil-burning stove weighing about a ton, on Ripapa Island. The army surplus stove will be installed in the galley at the Ripapa Island quarters to replace a similar stove which was beyond repair, Lieutenant Lepper said. 'rhe helicopter also lifted off the island a fire-fighting trailer pump which will travel by road to Bumham for an overhaul.