Two people have been killed in a helicopter crash in the Paekākāriki Hill area north of Wellington this morning.
Police received a report of the crash through the activation of automatic crash alert at around 7.30am on Wednesday.
"Tragically, both the pilot and the sole passenger were located deceased following the crash. Our thoughts are with their families at this time," Inspector Renée Perkins said.
Work was ongoing to recover the dead and to examine the crash site, which she said would be done alongside Civil Aviation Authority investigators.
"Cordons are in place at the Battle Hill campground – media and members of the public are asked to respect those cordons and follow the instructions of emergency services staff."
A Maritime NZ Rescue Coordination Centre spokesperson said two rescue helicopters and police were at the scene.
Fire and Emergency NZ confirmed it had two crews at the scene, with trucks from Porirua, Johnsonville and Wellington City.
Paekākāriki Hill sits at 274m high, and is about 45km north of Wellington City, and about 11km from the seaside town of Paekākāriki.
Ōtaki MP Tim Costley said in a post to Facebook it was "really sad" to hear of the fatalities.
"My heart goes out to the family, friends, and loved ones of those two people. Their families will be really feeling it right now and I know we all send our thoughts and prayers."
The search area was near Pukerua Bay, where three people were killed when a Defence Force helicopter crashed in heavy fog enroute to a dawn service flypast in the capital on Anzac Day in 2010.
The morning's headlines in 90 seconds, including Police appeal for help over spate of robberies, Melania speaks about Minneapolis protests, and a tennis star’s meltdown caught on camera. (Source: 1News)
SHARE ME