Helicopter crash: Community search for a well-known local pilot, Matt Wallis, son of Sir Tim Wallis

Research resumed this morning for a famous member of the Wanaka aviation community, who disappeared after a helicopter crash yesterday.

The helicopter that crashed into Lake Wanaka belonged to Matt Wallis, son of Warbirds over Wanaka founder Tim Wallis.

The helicopter was part of the fleet of Alpine Helicopters, owned by the Wallis family. A spokesman said this morning that the family would make a statement today.

Deputy Mayor of the Queenstown Lakes District Council, Calum Macleod, stated that they were still looking for a missing person at this point

"There is still hope but we fear the worst."

Macleod describes the Wallis family as a Big Totara tree in a small forest

"Any impact on this family has an impact on the community and there is a sense of muffled conversation, they are a respected family and a wonderful man. " [19659002ItwasthecasethatthePrince'sSquadronwascomingtoQuebecCityafter9hoursoftheyearwhentheMasterofPolicehadcloseddowntheStormsfortheSearch

"The Coast Guards Perform a Transportation Route from and Around the Lake and the Wallis Family"

Macleod stated that the weather conditions were relatively clear and still at this time, but that There was a southern front planned just after lunch.

"Which will make things a little dark but not too bad this morning."

Pol The ice resumed search this morning, after having coordinated by the New Zealand Rescue Coordination Center.

Detective Sergeant Derek Shaw testified that the search resumed this morning, including police boats, LandSAR and Coastguard. He said the national police team would make an assessment of the situation this afternoon

Shaw said that the plane had left Wanaka airport around 1 pm yesterday and that 39, he was heading to Mount Aspiring National Park disappeared, a trip that was to last 15 minutes.

Shaw said that there was only one person on board – the male pilot. He stated that the police were not able to confirm the name of the driver.

Queenstown Lakes Mayor Jim Boult was informed that the missing man is Matt Wallis and said the community is devastated

. They are loved and respected.

"Everyone will be extremely sorry about this."

Boult said that he knew Sir Tim very well and that his heart turned to him and the rest of the Wallis.

"It's very hard to put words on these things, but it's horrible."

The search started at 1:30 pm Saturday was suspended during the night before resuming this morning.

Chopper Debris was discovered on an island in Wanaka Lake after the rescue center was alerted to a Robinson helicopter carrying a missing person from its tracking system

Three helicopters from the same company traced the trajectory of the missing chopper and the spotted wreck on the shore of the nearby Stevenson Island, as well as an oil slick in water 1 km north. Chris Henshaw, senior search and rescue officer, confirmed that the R44 Robinson helicopter had been destroyed.

The Maritime Rescue Coordination Center, the Police and Coastguard are all involved in the search.

"Another team will land on Stevenson Island where we will see that debris could be found," Henshaw said Saturday.

Six helicopters were involved in the search, including the company's three helicopters owning the missing craft.

A police spokesman said he received a report of a shot down helicopter. The center directs the operation

The Metservice meteorologist, Ravi Kandula, said yesterday that the day had been "dark and dark with reduced visibility" since about noon in Wanaka

. -1200 feet.

Although there were some bursts late in the morning, the wind had not been "spectacular" for most of the day

The Inquiry Commission (TAIC) has opened an investigation into the alleged accident.

The chief accident investigator, Captain Tim Burfoot, said the commission has appointed a team of two investigators, who must arrive at the accident.

The Commission opens an investigation when it considers that the circumstances of an accident or an incident have or are likely to have significant repercussions on the safety of transport or where the May allow the commission to formulate TAICs placed Robinson helicopters on its watchlist – the highest alert possible – in 2016.

Citing 14 mast accidents that have claimed the lives of 18 people since 1991 , the Commission called for a new test of Robinson helicopters.

The Department of Conservation suspended the use of Robinson Helicopters in November 2016 due to security concerns and has now made the move permanent as a result of external and internal reports.

The additional annual cost of using other types of helicopters at Robinsons is $ 350,000 [19659002] Robinson helicopters account for 35% of the cost of However, 49% of the accidents, 64% of fatal accidents and seven fatal mast accidents occurred

. In 2008, West Coast pilot Morgan Saxton died after his Robinson R22 helicopter plunged into Lake Wanaka. A report from the Transport Accident Investigation Commission found that the 31-year-old man was texting a few minutes before the accident

The report found that the mast was in contact with the rotor head. l & # 39; water. Matt Wallis was part of the team that retrieved Saxton's body from the lake.

In 2014, 52-year-old Jerome Box, director of Auckland, was killed during an accident at a Squirrel AS350B2 helicopter with three friends on Mount Alta. , Wanaka. The helicopter rolled to 700 meters on the slope before stopping.

Last month, a man was caught in critical condition and subsequently died as a result of a helicopter crash near Waiouru. The Hughes MD600N helicopter was conducting a commercial survey operation in the area before crashing near Oturua Creek

The Civil Aviation Administration reported 12 accidents in the area. Helicopters last year, which was similar to the total for 2016. The authority said the overall fatal accident rate, at 2.5 per 100,000 hours, has since declined 2014, but still far from the decline Lake Wanaka is the fourth largest lake in New Zealand, at 192 square kilometers and an estimated depth of 300 meters.

The lake is used for adventure tourism all year round

The father of man, Sir Tim Wallis, ended in 1996 after a fatal accident in the 39th. one of his Spitfire fighters at Wanaka Airport.