A pilot who died following a helicopter crash near a Canterbury aerodrome yesterday evening has been named.
He was 47-year-old Karl James West, from Eyrewell.
"Our thoughts are with Karl's family, friends, and loved ones at this difficult time," Detective Senior Sergeant Dan Overend said.
"The family has requested privacy as they come to terms with their loss."
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," Overend said yesterday.
"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 continuing on Wednesday.
Fire and Emergency NZ crews responded from Cust, Oxford and Rangiora, with Hato Hone St John also attending.
Footage captured by 1News at the scene showed police searching the area with torches after dark, as the wreckage of the aircraft lay on its side in a nearby paddock.
'Just fell out of the sky'
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.
The Civil Aviation Authority is leading an investigation into the circumstances behind the crash, police said.
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