Police name man killed in helicopter crash

Chris Lynch
Chris Lynch
Sep 09, 2026 1:57 pm |
Police car / Istock / file only
Police car / Istock / file only

Police have named the man who died following a helicopter crash near Eyrewell on Tuesday.

He was 47-year-old Karl James West, from Eyrewell.

Detective Senior Sergeant Dan Overend said “Our thoughts are with Karl’s family, friends, and loved ones at this difficult time.

“The family has requested privacy as they come to terms with their loss, and police ask that this request be respected.”

“Police will not be commenting on the cause of the crash. The Civil Aviation Authority is leading enquiries into that aspect of the investigation.”

“No further comment will be made at this stage’

A Transport Accident Investigation Commission spokesman told chrislynchmedia.com “TAIC was notified of the incident, has gathered information about what occurred and has not opened an inquiry.

“TAIC investigates selected aviation, maritime and rail accidents and incidents where doing so is likely to contribute to preventing similar occurrences across the sector in future. It is not the Commission’s role to investigate every reported incident.”

 

Chris Lynch
Chris Lynch

Chris Lynch is a journalist, videographer and content producer, broadcasting from his independent news and production company in Christchurch, New Zealand. If you have a news tip or are interested in video content, email [email protected]

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