An Air Force officer has been charged following an investigation into a fatal helicopter crash near Wellington on Anzac Day three years ago.
Three men were killed when their Iroquois, which was flying in low cloud, crashed at Pukerua Bay on 25 April 2010.
They were part of a three-helicopter formation that was supposed to be taking part in a flypast in Wellington.
Flight Lieutenant Hayden Madsen, Flying Officer Daniel Gregory and Corporal Ben Carson died when their aircraft crashed into a hillside while en route to a dawn ceremony. Sergeant Stevin Creeggan suffered serious injuries.
The Defence Force said on Monday that the formation leader, who was in another helicopter, has been charged with negligently failing to perform a duty by failing to abort the mission when weather deteriorated.
The charge does not allege that this directly caused the accident.
A formal investigation is scheduled to take place at the start of April this year.
