Family’s chopper tragedies
A Wanaka family linked for generations with flying are mourning a second son lost to a tragic helicopter crash in three months.
Pilot Nick Wallis, 38, died with his passengers – two Department of Conservation (DOC) staff – yesterday in a crash bearing strong similarities to the one that killed his brother Matt in July.
The trio left Wanaka Airport about 10.51am yesterday, heading north to carry out tahr control in the Haast area on the West Coast.
For reasons unknown, the Hughes 500 helicopter crashed into farmland just north of the airport, near Stevenson Rd, and burst into flames.
Emergency services were notified about 11am. No-one survived.
Only three months ago, Nick, Alpine Helicopters’ director and general manager, delivered a heart-wrenching eulogy at his brother Matt’s funeral, saying it ‘‘physically hurts to know your life has been cut short’’.
Matt Wallis, 39, died when his Robinson 44 helicopter crashed into Lake Wanaka, near Stevensons Island, on July 21.
He too had left Wanaka Airport, and was on a short solo flight to Mt Aspiring National Park. His body was retrieved two days later.
The Wanaka aviation community and DOC are said to be devastated after the latest crash.
The Wallis men are the sons of aviation pioneer and Warbirds Over Wanaka air show founder Sir Tim Wallis and his wife, Lady Prue Wallis.
Warbirds Over Wanaka Community Trust chairman John Gilks called the crashes a ‘‘dreadful, double tragedy’’. ‘‘It’s really almost unbelievable that it’s happened so soon after Matt’s tragic death.
‘‘To think that this has happened at all, within three months, I feel incredibly sorry for the whole Wallis family ... no family deserves that.’’
Nick – the youngest of the Wallis brothers – was a ‘‘wonderful guy’’ and his death would be a ‘‘blow to the whole community’’.
‘‘He was a gentleman and he was a man’s man. He had a great sense of humour, just a nice guy to be around,’’ Gilks said.