Post by corsair67 on Jul 16, 2007 16:11:22 GMT 12
Pilot error key to Erceg crash
By LEIGH VAN DER STOEP - Sunday Star Times | Sunday, 15 July 2007
An investigation into the helicopter crash that killed liquor baron Michael Erceg and Dutch brewery executive Guus Klatte is complete.
It is understood pilot error was a major cause of the crash.
Civil Aviation Authority investigator Tom McCready began writing his report into the 2005 crash on Friday. He also showed Klatte's family, visiting from Holland, the crash site on Mt Karioi near Raglan.
Erceg's Eurocopter went missing on November 4, 2005, when he and passenger Klatte left Auckland for Queenstown. Their bodies were found in the wreckage 16 days later by members of the Ercegs' private search party.
At the time his family was highly critical of the decision to call off the search and rescue team just over a week after the pair's disappearance. A review of New Zealand Search and Rescue found there were shortcomings in the official operation.
Erceg's wife Lyn refused to discuss the investigation when contacted by the Sunday Star-Times.
McCready said his investigation into the crash had been "extensive".
"I think we've done a good job on this one," he said.
The process had been delayed by having to send parts to Europe for analysis and working with private crash investigators hired by the Ercegs to oversee the investigation.
He said rumours that Erceg's helicopter crashed because of bad weather were not true.
"I just want to dispel those rumours. What I can say is that when he took off the weather was quite flyable between Auckland and Raglan. However, at Raglan the weather started to deteriorate.
"We have a video of them taking off and we know from that video that there were even a few patches of blue sky."
He could not be drawn on the cause of the crash. The families of the victims will have an opportunity to review the report before it is released to the public in a few months.
He said the investigation had been a positive learning curve for the aviation industry.
A new emergency beacon was developed last year because Erceg's had failed to transmit when the antenna broke in the crash.
Auckland engineer Lloyd Klee has patented the Secondary Antenna Switching Device which ensures his beacon transmits even if its antenna breaks.
"The product was developed as a direct result of the Erceg crash," Klee said.
There are working prototypes of the Secondary Antenna Switching Device and Klee hopes it will be available for sale at the end of the year.
By LEIGH VAN DER STOEP - Sunday Star Times | Sunday, 15 July 2007
An investigation into the helicopter crash that killed liquor baron Michael Erceg and Dutch brewery executive Guus Klatte is complete.
It is understood pilot error was a major cause of the crash.
Civil Aviation Authority investigator Tom McCready began writing his report into the 2005 crash on Friday. He also showed Klatte's family, visiting from Holland, the crash site on Mt Karioi near Raglan.
Erceg's Eurocopter went missing on November 4, 2005, when he and passenger Klatte left Auckland for Queenstown. Their bodies were found in the wreckage 16 days later by members of the Ercegs' private search party.
At the time his family was highly critical of the decision to call off the search and rescue team just over a week after the pair's disappearance. A review of New Zealand Search and Rescue found there were shortcomings in the official operation.
Erceg's wife Lyn refused to discuss the investigation when contacted by the Sunday Star-Times.
McCready said his investigation into the crash had been "extensive".
"I think we've done a good job on this one," he said.
The process had been delayed by having to send parts to Europe for analysis and working with private crash investigators hired by the Ercegs to oversee the investigation.
He said rumours that Erceg's helicopter crashed because of bad weather were not true.
"I just want to dispel those rumours. What I can say is that when he took off the weather was quite flyable between Auckland and Raglan. However, at Raglan the weather started to deteriorate.
"We have a video of them taking off and we know from that video that there were even a few patches of blue sky."
He could not be drawn on the cause of the crash. The families of the victims will have an opportunity to review the report before it is released to the public in a few months.
He said the investigation had been a positive learning curve for the aviation industry.
A new emergency beacon was developed last year because Erceg's had failed to transmit when the antenna broke in the crash.
Auckland engineer Lloyd Klee has patented the Secondary Antenna Switching Device which ensures his beacon transmits even if its antenna breaks.
"The product was developed as a direct result of the Erceg crash," Klee said.
There are working prototypes of the Secondary Antenna Switching Device and Klee hopes it will be available for sale at the end of the year.
