Pilot’s body recovered from Lake Wanaka
Police have described the ‘‘very moving’’ retrieval of a body thought to be that of Wanaka helicopter pilot Matthew Wallis.
The body was retrieved from the Stevenson Arm area of Lake Wanaka about 10pm on Monday, two days after his helicopter crashed on a short solo flight to Mt Aspiring National Park from Wanaka Airport.
Detective Sergeant Derek Shaw yesterday said a body was located inside the wreckage of the helicopter, at a depth of 47 metres on the flat bottom of the lake by the Police National Dive Squad and the Navy.
Shaw praised the ‘‘can-do’’ attitude of the local community, and everyone involved in the operation. He estimated there were about 30 people on the lake on Monday night, including Wallis’ family, victim support and local iwi.
‘‘It was very moving and it was a really, really good conclusion from the police aspect of the operation . . . we’d like to thank the whole community for that.’’
Shaw said a ‘‘significant amount’’ of wreckage from the helicopter had been recovered from the lake bed. Divers continued working at night using light from a remotely operated vehicle, he said.
The Transport Accident Investigation Commission (TAIC) is investigating the cause of the crash.
Investigator Ian McClelland said the commission was focused on collecting wreckage and conducting witness interviews.
TAIC had notified the helicopter’s manufacturer, Robinson, and the National Transport Safety Board, in the United States, which had ‘‘offered their full support’’.
McClelland said the commission would consider the weather at the time of the crash as part of its inquiry and examine the wreckage, including the state it was found compared to after it had been collected.
‘‘The helicopter has hit the water from some height so it has suffered significant damage,’’ he said.
‘‘It is a tragedy and our aim is to try to give [the family] answers and, overall, provide a safer aviation environment.’’
Warbirds over Wanaka Community Trust chairman John Gilks said Wallis would be ‘‘sorely missed’’ by a large number of people in the aviation industry.