🇳🇿Helicopter incidents in New Zealand

This database records 30 helicopter incidents in New Zealand, the earliest in 2011 and the most recent in 2026. 3 have been recorded so far in 2026. The worst single year was 2013, with 3 incidents.

25 deaths across 13 fatal accidents, which is 43% of all incidents recorded here. Every other accident in New Zealand was survived by everyone on board. The deadliest was on 2015-11-21 at Fox Glacier, which killed 7.

The most frequently recorded type is the Hughes 500 with 3 incidents, followed by the Robinson R44 with 3. That reflects how many of each type fly in New Zealand rather than how safe they are.

Where a cause has been established, the most common is mechanical failure, in 2 accidents, then controlled flight into terrain in 2. Many records carry no established cause, either because the investigation is open or because none was published.