Seven killed in copter crash on Fox Glacier

Nine people – five New Zealanders and tourists from Australia, England, Ireland and Germany – died when a skydiving plane crashed at Fox Glacier airport in 2010.

“The first priority will be to get an aerial reconnaissance of the accident scene and from then to plan a safe way to approach and do the different jobs which the agencies are responsible for”, TAIC spokesperson Peter Northcote said earlier.

He had returned from Malaysia only a month ago and resumed his “summer job” based at Franz Josef for Alpine Adventures. A dark scorch mark is clearly visible on the glacier over a wide area where the helicopter impacted and wreckage wedged between house-sized blocks of ice.

It is also thought two Australians died in the crash.

“The visible wreckage is lying in heavily-crevassed steep terrain about the size of a rugby field, and alpine cliff rescue staff assistance will be required for any on-scene work”, TAIC said.

Rescue crew board a helicopter to head to the Fox Glacier crash site.

Alpine Adventures provides scenic flights and landings on the glacier, according to local media.

But the recovery operation has been halted after weather at Fox Glacier deteriorated and it may be Wednesday before the others are recovered because it is expected to worsen during Monday and Tuesday.

Investigators are working with police and alpine search and rescue teams to recover the victims, and establish what went wrong. Very sad day. For we have lost a good man and friend.

Pilot Mitch Gameren, 28, from Queenstown in New Zealand was also killed.

“My sympathies are with the families of the crash victims at this very distressing time”, she said.

He said that the glaciers in recent years have been retreating and that the only way to view them up close is by helicopter.

“It’s a small community so everyone pitches in…to make this as easy as possible”.

Investigators said the hard terrain had hampered efforts to retrieve the bodies. “We’re just feeling for the families at the moment”, Mr Nolan said.

The identities of the pilot from New Zeland and six passengers have not been released.

West Coast inspector John Canning, of Greymouth said “we have severe weather forecast for the next two days but if we do get a window we will start going up there again”.