Search for missing aircraft in Nelson region

Searching will resume today for a helicopter missing since Tuesday morning in steep, bush-clad terrain 35km west of Motueka.

High winds that prevented helicopters searching yesterday afternoon have died down and four helicopters will return to the search area.

Five land search and rescue teams spent the night in the area and will be joined by two further teams and a search and rescue dog.

No sign has yet been found of the Robinson 44 helicopter with one person on board that went missing during a flight from Karamea on the West Coast to Nelson.

No emergency beacon signal has been detected from the missing helicopter and the search area is based on information from the helicopter’s tracking system. The area being searched is around 5km in each direction from that point.

Rescue Coordination Centre New Zealand (RCCNZ) search and rescue controller Keith Allen said the forecast for the day was promising.

“Yesterday’s conditions were frustrating for the helicopter crews and we hope to make significant progress in the detailed coverage of the search area today,” he said.

“The extra searchers on the ground will also allow us to target further areas of interest.”

ENDS

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