A man in his 40s has died after yesterday's helicopter crash near Waiouru.
He was in a critical condition in Hawke's Bay Hospital's Intensive Care Unit as a result of injuries he suffered in the helicopter crash.
The family have asked for privacy but said: "He was a hugely loved husband, father and brother, and much loved by all his wider family and friends. His death is a tragic loss not only to his family but the wider farming community, and to all those who knew and loved him."
Two men, one in his 40s and the other in his 30s, remain in a serious but stable condition.
Two other men did not need hospital treatment.
The Hughes MD600N helicopter was doing a commercial survey in a remote area northeast of Waiouru. It sent a distress beacon at 8.50am yesterday.
The Transport Accident Investigation Commission sent three investigators to the crash site and has opened an inquiry.
The chief investigator of accidents, Captain Tim Burfoot said the helicopter was extensively damaged in the crash.
