The inquiry into this accident in which all seven people on-board died is now nearing the end of its analysis phase and work on drafting the report will begin shortly.
The draft report will go through several stages as the material is peer reviewed.
Once the Commissioners have approved the draft report, it will then be sent under legal protection to “interested persons” and overseas agencies for comment in order to ensure accuracy, completeness, and to ensure natural justice for people or organisations whose actions or inactions may appear to have been closely connected with the event.
Depending upon consideration of these submissions, and any further work required, we anticipate publishing the final inquiry report in May or June 2017.
The analysis phase has been working with extensive site, witness, interview and documentary evidence, and with the results from multiple technical examinations of the wreckage held at our technical facility in Wellington.
The wreckage has been examined by a team from the state of manufacture, France, working under the international convention covering air accident investigation.
This team included an engineer from the helicopter manufacturer and three investigators from the French air investigation agency, the Bureau d’Enquêtes et d’Analyses (BEA).
Similarly, the engine has been inspected in the United States by the engine manufacturer under the direct supervision of the Commission’s investigator in charge.
Other components of the flight control system have been tested and inspected in Australia.
The Commission has not needed to issue any urgent safety recommendations during the inquiry to date.