Flying Officer Daniel Stephen Gregory, 28, Corporal Benjamin Andrew Carson, 25, and Flight Lieutenant Hayden Peter Madsen, 33, died when an Iroquois crashed into hills near Pukerua Bay, about 40km northeast of Wellington, while on its way from Ohakea to Anzac memorial services in the city shortly before 6am.
A fourth crew member is recovering in Wellington Hospital after managing to free himself from the wreckage. He was winched on board the Westpac rescue helicopter once rescuers located the crash scene.
The crashed helicopter was one of three heading to Wellington in inclement weather, and the machines appear to have taken different routes after setting out together.
Despite being decades old, Iroquois are considered one of the safest and reliable helicopters around and equipped to fly in poor conditions, but pilots told The Dominion Post the route the crashed machine flew was questionable.
Alan Beck, of Beck Helicopters, said he was familiar with the rugged crash area, which was often fog-affected.
He praised the reliability of the helicopters but said he wouldn't have flown in the area in question considering the weather conditions there yesterday morning. Mr Beck said he would be "surprised" if a mechanical fault played a part in the crash.
Helicopter Association chairman Toby Clark said Iroquois could fly through cloud in "instrument" mode, but in his experience flying around the Kapiti Coast was that the coastal route was preferred.
"We would fly the coastline because anything off the coast is no higher than the sea and you know you are going to be clear of the land as the norm."
Helipro chief executive Rick Lucas said while there was no prescribed route for the aircraft heading south, conditions yesterday would have made the route over the hills "challenging", while the coast would have been clearer.
Air Force chief Air Vice Marshal Graham Lintott said while conditions were challenging, "we fly in poor weather all of the time".
He said there would be an immediate focus on supporting the families of those killed in the crash, and that a court of inquiry had also been launched.
Investigations would be undertaken by the Air Force and in consultation with the Transport Accident Investigation Commission and Civil Aviation Authority.
AVM Lintott told Radio New Zealand the Iroquois machines were serviced regularly with ageing parts replaced whenever necessary, and the age of them was "immaterial".
"I have absolutely full confidence in the airworthiness of the aircraft," he said.
