The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has suspended a Fox Glacier helicopter company's licence following a crash in November 2015 which killed seven people.
Alpine Adventures managing director James Scott confirmed to Newshub on Monday all 15 of his helicopters were grounded. He received the suspension on Friday night.
Mr Scott will be working to get it reinstated as soon as possible. He says it will have a big effect on his business.
The crash killed six tourists and 28-year-old kiwi pilot Mitch Gamerman. The Squirrel helicopter, on a tourist flight at the time, crashed into a crevassed area of the 13km-long glacier.
It was several days before the bodies and some of the wreckage could be recovered. In April this year further wreckage was recovered, including belly panels and helicopter fragments.
Mr Scott is waiting for further information from the CAA, but is hoping to have the license reissued in the next few days.
The CAA declined to comment.
The inquiry into the crash is still continuing and expected to be completed no earlier than May 2017.
http://www.newshub.co.nz
The alpine cliff recovery team prepare to fly into Fox Glacier.
A recovery helicopter heading to the crash site.
Weather on Fox Glacier at the time of Saturday's fatal crash was slightly marginal but the pilot and company were following procedure, the helicopter operator says.
Alpine Adventures' quality assurance manager, Barry Waterland, told Morning Report helicopter operators in the area make a joint decision on whether conditions are suitable for flying.
Four British and two Australian tourists and the New Zealand pilot died when an AS350 helicopter crashed on Fox Glacier on Saturday morning.
Andrew Virco, 50, and Katharine Walker, 51, from Cambridge, Nigel Edwin Charlton, 66, and Cynthia Charlton, 70, of Hampshire and Sovannmony Leang, 27, and Josephine Gibson, 29 of New South Wales, Australia, were on board, police say, with pilot Mitch Gameren.
Mr Waterland told Morning Report the weather was "a wee bit marginal" on the morning of the crash.
All companies involved in glacier flights assess the weather and if one firm grounds their flights, they all do. "When the weather gets to a certain point, if one company says 'no, we're not flying due to the weather,' everybody shuts down.
"I do believe that on the morning of the crash, things were okay, there were helicopters up there but it's the pilot's call, when he's up there, whether he turns around and comes back down again, because on the ground we can't see right into the glacier.
"If the call had gone out to say that operations had ceased, we'd cease immediately."
He did not know whether the two other companies that fly into the glacier had helicopters in the air at the time of the crash.
Bad weather halts recovery operation
The bodies of four of the seven people killed on Saturday remain at the site this morning and forecast strong winds and heavy rain mean it may be Wednesday before it is safe to recover them.
A break in the weather yesterday allowed recovery teams to retrieve three bodies, which are now in a temporary mortuary in Fox Glacier township.
The wreckage is wedged down a crevasse between massive blocks of ice high on the glacier, and a search and rescue team had to be winched down from a hovering helicopter to get the first bodies out.
"The site is near the top of the glacier, it's all ice, it's not level and there are blocks of ice as big as buildings with crevasses between them," said Police Inspector John Canning. "There will be danger in getting teams into the area and traversing the area."
"While we're determined to return these people to their families, this will be a complex and technical task with an emphasis on the safety of those involved."
Transport Accident Investigation Commission (TAIC) spokesperson Peter Northcote said the intention was to remove all wreckage possible but some debris had not been sighted and the glacier terrain is challenging.
"All the wreckage would have to be prepared for lifting and the nature of the environment will present many access and safety challenges to those involved in that work."
Prime Minister John Key has expressed his condolences to Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull over the deaths of two Australians in the crash.
Mr Key said there had been substantial changes to the regulation of adventure tourism in the last three or four years, and he did not believe the accident would deter tourists.
"I don't think it would put people off coming to New Zealand, or put them off undertaking adventure tourism activities.
"Most people are aware there is a degree of risk when you get in a helicopter, but having said that, there needs to be a full investigation. We need to understand whether it was the weather that caused this issue."
Crash helicopter 'has good safety record'
Pilots say the AS350, a make of helicopter also called the Squirrel, has an excellent safety record.
Helicopter pilot and Aviation New Zealand helicopter division chair Pete Turnbull said the Squirrel was very well thought of.
"It's a make of helicopter that's been in New Zealand for probably 30 years in various guises," he said.
"It's been well established here, well received, and has a very good record. It's had a variety of uses - agricultural, tourist, and even private use. Its got a very good safety record."
Mr Turnbull said the investigation was likely to look at issues such as the weather and the airworthiness of the aircraft, and the wreckage was crucial to finding answers.
However Helicopter Association executive officer John Sinclair said the Squirrel had an excellent safety record in New Zealand, and helicopters in general were very safe in New Zealand. "Until yesterday we have lost one fare-paying passenger in a New Zealand helicopter accident since December 2001."
Fox Glacier businesses said people were still booking flights over the glaciers.
Glacier Country Tourism chair Rob Jewell said the glaciers were still very desirable places to visit and people accepted that accidents sometimes happened, he said.
"We don't know what has happened in this particular instance. That'll come out in due course with the investigators. But people make their decisions and they will still choose to travel."
Story and photos: http://www.radionz.co.nz
Andrew Virco and Katharine Walker were in New Zealand to celebrate turning 50.
Nigel and Cynthia Charlton
World traveller ... Sovannmony Leang, 27, in New York City in September.
Tragic loss ... Josephine Gibson, right, with sister Isabel in March.
Closefamily ... Sovannmony Leang (far right) with brothers Setla and Rolyn Peic.
Katharine Walker from Cambridge worked at Addenbrooke's Hospital.
The pilot of the the helicopter has been named as 28-year-old Mitch Gameren, pictured.
Weather conditions were poor at Fox Glacier at the time of the crash.
Weather conditions in the Fox Glacier valley can change extremely quickly.
Poor weather conditions on Sunday morning were making it difficult for recovery teams to access the site of a fatal helicopter crash on the Fox Glacier.
A search and rescue helicopter heads towards the Fox Glacier valley on Sunday after a helicopter crash killed seven on Saturday.
The wreckage of the helicopter, which crashed, killing all seven people on board, is seen in a crevasse on Fox Glacier.
Police have now revealed the identities of all seven victims — six tourists and a local pilot.
They are:
Mitchell Paul Gameren, New Zealand, 28
Leang Sovannmony, Australia, 27
Josephine Gibson, Australia, 29
Andrew Virco, Cambridge, UK, 50
Katharine Walker, Cambridge, UK, 51
Nigel Edwin Charlton, Hampshire, UK, 66
Cynthia Charlton, Hampshire, UK, 70
Colleagues of a British medic who was killed when a helicopter crashed into a glacier in New Zealand have been left devastated by her death, her employer has said.
Katharine Walker, 51, the head of radiotherapy at Addenbrooke’s hospital in Cambridge, was one of six people who died when the sightseeing helicopter crashed into a crevasse on the Fox glacier on Saturday morning.
Three other British tourists – Walker’s partner Andrew Virco, 50, Nigel Charlton, 66, and his wife, Cynthia, 70, from Hampshire – died along with two Australian holidaymakers and the Kiwi pilot.
A spokesman for Cambridge University Hospitals, which runs Addenbrooke’s, said: “Everyone at the hospital is devastated by the news and our thoughts go out to Kath’s family at this very sad time.
“Kath was a much respected member of staff who had worked at Addenbrooke’s for 23 years. We know many of our staff are going to be hit hard by this tragic news and we will be offering additional support for them.”
Walker’s brother, Steve Marshall, told the Sunday Times that his sister and Virco were on a “trip of a lifetime” to celebrate their 50th birthdays, and they tried to take the helicopter trip on Friday but were prevented from doing so by bad weather.
He described Walker as a sociable person and devoted mother to her 22-year-old daughter, Rebecca. He said Virco was a “wonderful person”.
As well as the British victims, Sovannmony Leang, 27, and Josephine Gibson, 29, both from New South Wales, Australia, and the helicopter pilot Mitchell Gameren, 28, from Queenstown, New Zealand, all died.
Gameren’s younger sister Brooke wrote on Facebook: “I feel like I am in a dream and I’m just waiting for you to text me and tell me you’re fine.
“Today we lost a champion. I lost my brother and best mate. I am so blessed to have a brother like you. You have been such a massive role model in my life … I miss you so much already.”
The bodies of three of the victims have been recovered from the crash site and taken to a temporary mortuary facility nearby for formal identification.
It may be Wednesday before the others are recovered because the weather is expected to worsen during Monday and Tuesday.
The helicopter crashed at around 11am local time on Saturday. A picture released by police showed the crumpled remains stuck at the bottom of a wall of ice close to the top of the eight-mile (13km) glacier.
Reports in New Zealand said Gameren was believed to be an experienced flier. Fox Glacier Heliservices, which organised the flight, said: “Fox Heliservices’ thoughts are with the families of the passengers and pilot. The pilot was a very valued member of our team. The New Zealand police and Civil Aviation Authority have taken over the investigation.”
Story and photo: http://www.theguardian.com
Recovery teams have reached the site of Fox Glacier helicopter crash which killed seven people, as they vow to bring the victims' bodies back to their families.
The Alpine Adventures chopper went down in a "heavily crevassed" area late on Saturday morning, killing all seven on board including local pilot Mitch Gameren, two Australian tourists and four people from the United Kingdom.
Police hope to release some of the victim's names early on Sunday afternoon.
West Coast Inspector John Canning, of Greymouth, said earlier on Sunday that imminent bad weather would hamper the recovery effort but rescue crews would be using "every opportunity" in intermittent breaks in the weather.
The crews were determined to get up the glacier and recovery the bodies for the families, Canning said, but that process could take a couple of days.
"We've got to get those (bodies) back to their families if we can." he said. "Definitely the people will be coming before the aircraft."
Crews would be not heading to the site by foot as it would take several hours and the weather was not on their side, Canning said.
"We will lift them out."
An alpine rescue squad, search and rescue staff and defence force personnel were part of the recovery team and an army helicopter had been brought in to assist.
"That's go a huge lifting capacity as far as staff goes. A normal helicopter round here can prob get three or four in. One of those can get over a dozen in," Canning said.
"We've got to get them on the hill in the break of the weather... and get them to work. (We will) run what we can while the weather holds," he said.
Glacier Country Tourism chairman Rob Jewell confirmed that the no fly zone around the crash site had been extended and that no helicopter companies would run tours today in order to give the recovery helicopters priority.
Visitors who wanted to see the glacier would have to take the walking track, he said.
The six tourists, two Australians and four from the United Kingdom, were believed to have been travelling in separate groups in camper vans. It was not believed there was anyone else travelling with the groups.
Their next of kin were still being notified.
Police search and rescue coordinator Sergeant Sean Judd said on Sunday morning the situation was being assessed every hour and he was hopeful some progress would be made.
Fox and Franz Josef Heliservices ground crew manager Mike Nolan described the crash an "absolute tragedy".
"We just can't believe what's going on. We're just feeling for the families at the moment," he said.
"We don't know a lot about the recovery process just that the weather is hampering search and rescue teams. Mitch was one of our experienced pilots. We're devastated for him and his family. "
Gameren had worked at the company for about six years, mostly during summer as he worked overseas as well, Nolan said.
"He was a very valued member of our team. We just absolutely can't believe what's happened.".
The company would conduct its own investigation as well as supporting police, the Civil Aviation Authority and the Transport Accident Investigation Commission .
Nolan said the company took its safety very seriously and yesterday's crash was the first time a life had been lost in the more than 20 years he had worked with the company.
He said the tourists who died were not part of a larger group.
Weather prevented emergency services from reaching the site Saturday and Metservice meteorologist Emma Blades said bad weather was forecast to continue in the area, causing visibility to be poor, .
"It's going to be wet and fairly windy as well ... [It] won't be a very clear day, that's for sure.
"With the cloud, it's going to be difficult to see anything or get up there, I'd imagine."
Showers were expected to ease during Sunday morning, before becoming more intense in the evening.
DANGEROUS TERRAIN
Police said on Saturday that a recovery effort and scene examination was "likely to take some days".
Inspector John Canning said the helicopter was in a crevasse 762m up the valley. Debris was scattered hundreds of metres around the crash site.
Canning said the recovery would be very difficult in the dangerous terrain.
"I'm not going to risk any more lives, we've lost seven."
Australia's Foreign Minister Julie Bishop had spoken to the families of the two Australian victims.
"My sympathies are with the families of the crash victims at this very distressing time," Bishop said in a statement.
She said the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade would keep in close contact with authorities in New Zealand, and provide support to the victims' families.
Earlier, four choppers responded to the crash site, and a paramedic and a rescuer were winched down to the scene.
Vince Cholewa, from the rescue centre, said two choppers had flown from Christchurch, one from Greymouth and one from Fox Glacier, with a cliff rescue team on board.
Cholewa described the area as "heavily crevassed".
Rob Jewell, chairperson of the Glacier Country Tourism Group which represents operators providing tourist and visitor services at Fox Glacier and nearby Franz Josef, said: "We're a small knit community here.
"Here on the West Coast, it's a small village, and everyone knows everybody, so it's a matter of looking after each other.
"We're hurting. It's a real tragedy today. We'll just do what we can to make this as easy as we can for everybody, and obviously our thoughts are with those who lost their lives today and their families and friends."
Fellow Glacier Country Tourism Group member Chris Alexander said emergency services had tried "their damnedest" to reach the scene.
There was cloud and rain in the area where the crash occurred, MetService said.
St John was alerted to the crash at 11.05am on Saturday.
Franz Josef community development officer Helen Lash said the helicopter fraternity were "very, very tight" between the two West Coast towns of Fox Glacier and Franz Josef.
"Anything at this stage is sheer speculation and until official confirmation comes out we won't be releasing comment.
"But our thoughts are certainly with the Fox Glacier community and also the helicopter fraternity, because there are a lot of businesses between Fox and Franz - some of them are duplicated in both towns and it's a very, very tight community. We would like to respect that."
The Transport Accident Investigation Commission has opened an inquiry into the incident, head of communications and support Peter Northcote said.
"We're in the process of deploying a team of four people who will be arriving early evening."
They would find out what happened, and if there was anything that could be done to help prevent another occurrence.
Source: http://www.stuff.co.nz
Mr. Gameren, pictured right, was a highly experienced helicopter pilot with more than 3,000 hours logged flight time.
Weather conditions looking towards Fox Glacier today.
View of Fox Glacier at 10:52 am today, showing the weather conditions around the time of the crash.
Emergency services gather at the Fox Glacier Emergency Services Center.
An Alpine Adventures Scenic Flights Eurocopter 6 "Squirrel" helicopter. The company operates scenic flights over Fox Glacier and Franz Josef Glacier.
