Hughes 369D crash near Lake Sumner, New Zealand

On May 21, 2012, at 0200 universal coordinated time, a Hughes 369D, ZK-HXZ, registered to and operated by Way to Go Heliservices, crashed into Lake Sumner, New Zealand, under unknown circumstances. The helicopter sank in 125 meters of water and was not recovered until May 2015. The pilot, the sole occupant was fatally injured and the helicopter was destroyed. The helicopter was being operated for agricultural weed spraying under the pertinent civil regulations of the Government of New Zealand. The investigation is under the jurisdiction of the Government of New Zealand. This report is for information purposes only and contains only information released by the Government of New Zealand. Further information pertaining to this accident may be obtained from: Civil Aviation Authority Safety Investigations Unit Level 15, Asteron Centre 55 Featherston St Wellington 6011, New Zealand Tel: (64) 04-560-9400