Family awaits news on missing Kiwi helicopter pilot

FAMILY of a Kiwi helicopter pilot missing in Indonesia face a nervous wait as poor weather hinders rescue efforts.

Auckland pilot Shri Rama Krishnan, 42, was flying supplies to mines for United States gold mining company Freeport-mcmoran in the remote Papua province of Indonesia on Saturday morning.

His Squirrel helicopter left the mining town of Tembagapura at 8.12am with two passengers but was forced to turn back in bad weather conditions. Radio contact was lost about 8.30am.

A locator beacon was activated and wreckage was found yesterday morning though searchers were not able to get to the helicopter because of the terrain it is in.

Mr Krishnan was working for New Zealand company Kershaw Aviation Group, a job he had held for about a year.

The two passengers tract mine workers.

Mr Kershaw lives in Orewa with

were

con- a wife and child. A spokesperson said the family were ‘‘very alarmed and shocked’’.

Kershaw Aviation chief executive Josh Kershaw said Mr Krishnan was a ‘‘very experienced pilot’’ who had logged 3100 flying hours and trained other staff.

Company director Ricky Kershaw said Mr Krishnan was a ‘‘really nice guy’’.

The helicopter he was flying was equipped with a tracking system and oxygen for the pilot, due to the altitudes the company worked at.

‘‘This is a route he would have travelled many times and he had previous extensive experience in similar environments,’’ Josh Kershaw said.

‘‘At this stage we are not able to comment on what may have happened, but will be working very closely with air accident investigators to establish exactly that.’’

Two senior managers from the company were travelling to the province to work with authorities, Mr Kershaw said.