Helicopter tragedy

A Wanaka family linked for generations with flying are mourning a second son lost to a helicopter crash in three months. Pilot Nick Wallis died with his passengers – two Department of Conservation staff – yesterday in a similar crash to the one that killed his brother Matt in July. The trio left Wanaka Airport about 10.51am to carry out tahr control in the Haast area on the West Coast. The Hughes 500 crashed into farmland near the airport, near Stevenson Rd, and burst into flames. Emergency services were notified about 11am. No-one survived. 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.