A wreckage spotted, an investigation launched after a helicopter with an accident aboard Lake Wanaka | 1 NEWS

A search began around 1:23 pm this afternoon after the Rescue Coordination Center NZ received a notification from a helicopter company stating that one of its Robinson helicopters were late and had disappeared from their tracking systems at Lake Wanaka Three helicopters from the same company traced the trajectory of the missing plane and spotted an oil slick one kilometer north of the island Stevenson and debris on the coastline of the island, said Chris Henshaw, Senior RCCNZ Search and Rescue Officer

. The RCCNZ is working with the police, coastguards, a LandSAR team and two additional helicopters to expand the scope of the search.

Researchers will travel through the Wanaka Lake area where the oil spill was sighted,

Another team landed on Stevenson Island to investigate where the wreckage was sighted in order to Establish other information, he said.

The Chief Accident Investigator, Captain Tim Burfoot, says that it is reported that the accident involved a Robinson R44 helicopter.

The commission has appointed a team of two investigators who will arrive at the scene of the accident tomorrow, he said.

The commission opens an investigation when it believes that the circumstances of an accident or an incident have – important implications for transportation safety, or where the investigation may allow commission to make findings or recommendations to improve transportation safety