Radio New Zealand - Te Reo Irirangi o Aotearoa

Omission seen in air crash report

Updated at 12:52 pm on 27 October 2011

Massey University's school of aviation says there's a significant omission in a report by the Transport Accident Investigation Commission into a mid-air collision which killed three people in 2008.

An inquest is being held in Wellington into the deaths of trainee helicopter pilot James Taylor, and his examiner, David Fielding, and student pilot Bevan Hookway when their aircraft collided over Paraparaumu.

Mr Fielding's mother on Thursday read an email from Frank Sharp who is the school's professional programmes manager.

In it, he said the TAIC crash report fails to mention anything about other aircraft distracting the helicopter crew, which he says would have made it harder to see Mr Hookway's Cessna.

Mr Sharp said the omission is significant.

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