The Transport Accident Investigation Commission
is hoping to recover the Squirrel helicopter tomorrow
(Thursday) which crashed during fire-fighting operations on
the hills above Christchurch.
The pilot died in the
accident.
Investigator in charge Ian McClelland said he
and two other Commission investigators had been at the crash
site for much of today; surveying the wreckage, taking notes
and recovering some items.
The team was now off-site but
would return first thing tomorrow morning to prepare the
wreckage for airlifting to a secure area for further
analysis.
Mr McClelland said much would depend on weather
conditions and the fire. The fire had burned to within one
and a half to two kilometres of the crash site today.
“There is no immediate danger to the crash site,
however,” he said.
If the process went smoothly
tomorrow, then the airlift could happen between 11am and
noon. Mr McClelland said there was restricted access to the
area because of the
fire.
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