A deadly helicopter crash in New Zealand occurred after a loose pair of trousers flew out of the cabin and wrapped around the tail rotor, an investigation found on Thursday.
The bizarre circumstances around the crash in October that resulted in three lives near the South Island resort town of Wanaka were revealed in a Transport Accident Investigation Commission report.
“Paint marks on the over-trousers matched the colour and profile of the tail rotor blades, and marks on a tail rotor blade match a zip and dome connector on the over-trousers.”
In its interim findings, the commission said the case underlined the danger of loose items in helicopter cabins.
The crash occurred on October 18 when the helicopter was taking off, claiming the lives of the pilot Nick Wallis and two conservation department workers.
In another twist, the pilot’s brother Matt Wallis died piloting a helicopter in the same area just months earlier.
The commission also released an interim report into that crash on Thursday, finding the most likely cause was a main rotor drive-shaft failure that caused the helicopter to break-up mid-flight.
AFP