Back-up choppers ready after crash

Tauranga's Trustpower TECT Rescue helicopter is one of a network of rescue helicopters taking on any extra callouts after Rotorua's BayTrust rescue helicopter crashed on landing this weekend.

At about 5pm on Saturday the BayTrust helicopter landed heavily on approach to the landing pad at Taupo Hospital.

The Tauranga-based Trustpower TECT Rescue helicopter (bottom) is ready to attend to callouts after the Rotorua helicopter crash landed.

Pilot Art Kowalski and a rescue helicopter crewman were flying into the hospital to collect a patient for transfer when the chopper crashed.

Philips Search and Rescue Trust Secretary David Wickham says both the pilot and crewman are doing well.

"On board was our pilot and one crewman, and fortunately only one of them received a minor injury.

'The Trust would like to thank those who passed on their support, particularly from the Rotorua community, and assure you that we are taking good care of Art, our crewman and their families.”

"We are lucky to have a network of rescue helicopters in the region with helicopters based at Hamilton, Tauranga and Taupo. This overlapping network will ensure the emergency air response for the region is intact."

The Civil Aviation Authority is investigating but witnesses have reported the helicopter's tail appeared to clip the top of pine trees as it came into land at the helipad.

The million dollar rescue helicopter suffered major damage in the crash, and it is unsure when it will be able to return to duties.

In the meantime rescue helicopters from Tauranga, Waikato and Taupo will respond to any air rescues.

Tauranga base pilot Todd Dunham says it has been a 'quiet weekend” so far with no callouts for the Trustpower TECT chopper in the last 24 hours.

He says the Tauranga crew are on standby and will respond to any calls if and when required.

'It's been pretty quiet actually for an Easter weekend – seems everyone is behaving themselves, or perhaps it's the weather.”

All emergency calls come through a communications centre, where staff assess the situation and patch the call through to the closest rescue helicopter available at the time, says Todd.

'They typically dispatch the call through to the closest to the scene, and it depends on who is available and has the required crew, like a paramedic. Last month we had a few calls to Hampton Downs and that is both Auckland and Waikato areas, but neither were available, so we attended.”

Saturday's crash is the first crash landing Todd has heard of involving a Trust chopper, and an incident he says is 'very rare”.

'We are very experienced crew, we have lots of training and fly in difficult conditions with all the right equipment – it's a very rare occurrence in New Zealand.”

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