‘One of our own’
Tributes for family in fatal helicopter crash
The wreckage of the helicopter that crashed killing two was last night removed from a beach about 30km north of Kaiko¯ura. North Canterbury pilot Andrew Hamish Davidson, 60, and wife Lin Chen, 39, died when the machine crashed on the beach on Tuesday.
A digger was used to move the damaged machine from above the high-tide mark at Ke¯kerengu¯.
Two of the couple’s children were injured, along with a third child.
All three remained in hospital in Wellington – one in the ICU and two in a stable condition.
Davidson and Chen were from Kaiapoi, 25km north of Christchurch. He had taken ownership of the Eurocopter EC120B machine in October, a month after he set up charter company Glenloch Helicopters Ltd.
Transport Accident Investigation Commission investigators arrived yesterday to start piecing together what happened on the fatal outing.
The team scoured the scene, filming and photographing evidence
that was strewn from the immediate site of the crash and across part of the beach. Witnesses said the crash happened as they came in to land — that the aircraft suddenly started to spin, then “nosedived”.
Ngai Tahu iwi members blessed the crash location yesterday. They walked the beach, stopping at various points to speak, pray and remember.
They did a special cleansing of the wreckage.
Rescuers who helped pull the children from the crumpled helicopter were handed pieces of fern, a symbolic acknowledgement of their efforts.
“We are grateful there are survivors,” a kaumatua said.
“We must remember the survivors – we hold in our hearts each of these three little sprouts, the little wee children who are still battling.”
The group then moved to the grass where the bodies of Davidson and Chen were carried to wait for the hearses to transport them, sheltered from the wind and away from the mangled metal.
They lay for a time beside the tractor that hauled their machine from the surf, the doors that were ripped off it to get to their children a reminder of the frantic work of the first responders.
Harald Hendel, chief investigator for the commission, said there may be people who saw what happened, given the location of the accident near a cafe´ on State Highway 1.
He appealed for witnesses – “especially anyone who may have captured the accident on their vehicle’s dashcam or other recording devices – to please contact TAIC as soon as possible”.
The inquiry will likely be lengthy. “Their initial work will include inspecting the wreckage, mapping the site, and talking with witnesses.” The chopper would be examined, as would any flight record data and maintenance records, Hendel said.