Executive summary
During a hunting sortie, in which the helicopter was being flown with both doors removed, the pilot manoeuvred the helicopter adjacent to a steep slope to enable the shooter to fire at a deer. The next moment the pilot saw the shooter "flying out the door" and falling some 30 or 40 feet on to the tussock and scrub covered slope. The pilot flew from the area temporarily to summon assistance and subsequently picked up a local doctor and transported him to the scene. The shooter survived the fall but sustained severe injuries to his back and lower limbs.
Related Recommendations
In co-operation and consultation with the aviation industry, appropriate seatbelt modification or other restraint system be devised to provide an appropriate degree of shooter safety during hunting operations.
The adequacy of existing restraint systems installed in aerial work helicopters for the use of shooters be considered as a matter of urgency.