Fatal chopper ... the Robinson R44 Raven II helicopter which crashed on Feb 4, 2012, killing celebrated film-makers Andrew Wight and Mike DeGruy.Fatal chopper ... the Robinson R44 Raven II helicopter which crashed on Feb 4, 2012, killing celebrated film-makers Andrew Wight and Mike deGruy. Photo: Australian Transport Safety Bureau
AUTHORITIES will allow a type of helicopter used for joy flights to continue flying - despite issuing an urgent safety notice to fix a potential fire hazard.
The Robinson R44 is the same model helicopter in which two filmmakers recently died.
A shortage of replacement parts from the US for the R44 means only a fraction of the helicopters here will be fixed, the Herald has learned.
The Australian filmmaker Andrew Wight and a US colleague, Mike deGruy, were killed on February 4 when their R44 crashed and burned shortly after lift-off at Jaspers Brush, in southern NSW.