A helicopter pilot has died in a crash near a Canterbury aerodrome this evening.
Police said it received reports of a crash near Eyrewell in the Waimakariri District, north of Christchurch, at around 5.20pm on Tuesday.
"The pilot of the helicopter, the sole occupant, died at the scene, near Eyrewell," said Detective Senior Sergeant Dan Overend said.
"Police are supporting the deceased's family and enquiries into the circumstances of the crash are ongoing."
The scene has been secured overnight, with recovery and examination work to continue on Wednesday.
Fire and Emergency NZ crews responded from Cust, Oxford and Rangiora, while St John also confirmed it had attended.
Footage captured by 1News at the scene shows police searching the area with torches after dark, as the wreckage of the aircraft lies on its side in a nearby paddock.
Eyrewell resident Vickie Lawson said she and her husband Steve witnessed the aircraft fall from the sky from their home.
"It just fell out of the sky, quite literally," she told 1News.
Steve Lawson said the aircraft appeared to be about 400m from the nearby Forest Field Aerodrome when he heard its engine begin to struggle.
"The engine coughed, and then everything went silent," he recalled.
"[It] rotated half a turn, and then plunged. It just plummeted, and then there was just silence."
Eyrewell is located about 30km northwest of Christchurch.
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