The pilot of a helicopter which crashed north of Levin today is in Palmerston North Hospital with head injuries.
The 60-year-old was flown to Palmerston North Hospital with serious injuries after the chopper, an ex-military Iroquois, came down on Hokio Beach, 10km northwest of Levin, police central communications Inspector Ian Harris said.
Emergency services were contacted about 9am.
The pilot was treated by St John Ambulance staff from Palmerston North. He was the only person in the helicopter, which was flying from Blenheim to Rotorua.
Dave James, who works at Weraroa Auto Services on Hokio Beach Road, Levin, said he saw fire engines heading out to the beach this morning.
Five fire crews and a support unit from Palmerston North went to the crash just after 9am, said Murray Dunbar, shift manager at the central fire communications centre.
"We assessed the situation and deemed it safe. There wasn't any fire and the people in the helicopter had already been removed and flown to hospital by helicopter," Mr Dunbar told NZPA.
