Fatal ’copter crash in South Westland

Press, 23 November 1987, Page 1

Fatal ’copter crash in South Westland

By

NEIL CLARKSON

A Christchurch man knocked unconscious yesterday in a fatal helicopter crash in South Westland woke to find' himself half submerged in the Landsborough River. lan James McLennan freed himself from his passenger harness and set about trying to revive the pilot, who was completely submerged in nearly 2m of water. Efforts to resuscitate the pilot failed. He was William Hanmer Atkinson, aged 31, of Hanmer Springs. The crash, about 6 a.m., was the second fatal helicopter crash in New Zealand in three days. Three people died when a helicopter crashed north of Wellington about 1 p.m. on Friday. Senior Constable Rodger Millard, of Haast, said the two men were aboard a two-seater Robinson R 22 helicopter working out of Paringa on deer recovery. The helicopter fell apart when it struck a three-wire bridge Wrung across the Landsborough River. “The helicopter caught the

wires and that pulled it down into the river. It fell to pieces,” said Constable Millard.

The wreckage came to rest in nearly 2m of water, he said.

Constable Millard said it appeared Mr Atkinson had flown the helicopter down the Clarke River and turned to fly up the Landsborough River when it struck the wires, snapping one of them.

"It was in a little gorge in the river.”

He said a post-mortem would be held to determine if Mr Atkinson died outright or drowned.

“He was found in the water still strapped in his seat” Constable Millard said Mr McLennan, the shooter on the trip, regained consciousness to find himself strapped in his seat with only his top half above the water.

“He was very lucky. He got the pilot out and tried to resuscitate him but got no signs of life. “He then began to walk out” Mr McLennan walked about 12km along the riverbed to State highway 6, where he flagged

down a camper van which took him to the Haast Police Station. He arrived about 9.30 a.m. “At that stage there was already a helicopter looking because they were overdue.” - Constable Millard said he arranged with another helicopter pilot to fly into the area and lift out Mr Atkinson’s body.

The helicopter was able to touch down near the accident site on an area of shingle, he said.

He returned to the area yesterday afternoon with an inspector of air accidents. “We have lifted the wreckage out of the water.” Constable Millard said the bridge was strung across the river during the Depression years to help trampers. “It hasn’t been used for years and years. It’s just a few rusty wires across the river.

“Everybody knew it was there but nobody did anything about removing it. They will now, of course.”

Mr McLennan escaped with cuts, bad bruising and possibly broken ribs. He was treated and discharged at Whataroa Public Hospital.