An inquiry has been launched after a helicopter pilot had to take "evasive action" to avoid a mid-air crash with another helicopter at Queenstown Airport last month.
The Transport Accident Investigation Commission (TAIC) is investigating the December 27 incident.
"The two helicopters got too close to each other during hover-taxi departure from the airport’s southern apron area," TAIC said in a statement.
Over The Top chief executive Louisa Patterson said the incident report might have more to do with TAIC being extra careful after two helicopters crashed on the Gold Coast, leading to four deaths.
The incident in Queenstown involved a Eurocopter AS350, ZK-IDB, which is registered with The Helicopter Line Ltd, and a Eurocopter EC130, ZK-IUP registered with Over The Top Ltd.
"The AS350 took evasive action to avoid colliding with the EC130," TAIC said.
Mrs Patterson said she had filled out an occurrence report for the incident but to call it a near-miss was "probably over-calling it, really."
"There was a situation where an aircraft was taking off ... [and] didn’t wait the necessary time before the other aircraft departed."
She said the Over The Top aircraft were fitted with the Eye In The Sky, an aviation-approved cockpit video, audio and flight data recorder.
The TAIC had the Eye In The Sky video-audio footage, which clearly showed all aspects of the occurrence, and would establish the circumstances and allow the TAIC to rapidly close off the occurrence with suitable recommendations.
The TAIC had a protection order on the footage.
She believed the investigation was taking place because of the Gold Coast Sea World fatal mid-air collision on January 2, which occurred while one helicopter was attempting to land and the other taking off.
That crash killed four people, while nine others were injured.
The Helicopter Line managing director Mark Quickfall said such incidents "always get back to procedure".
"There will be some learnings for all parties, really ... How clearance is given ..."
Mr Quickfall said it would not be appropriate to provide further detail while the TAIC was investigating, but THL had met the commission as part of the investigation, and had done its own internal investigation, the findings of which had been passed on to the TAIC to form part of its investigation and guide any recommendations.
"All the parties have been very open and transparent and co-operating with each other — The Helicopter Line, Over The Top, Airways [Queenstown Airport] and TAIC," Mr Quickfall said.
"So this is a process for us — we’ll co-operate and take whatever learning comes from it.
"It really gets back to procedures and just reviewing those to make sure there is sufficient separation."
— additional reporting The New Zealand Herald
