Rescue pilot's day of drama

Southland Times

Exceptional flying: Richard Hayes walked away unscathed from a helicopter crash yesterday and was hours later a part of a rescue of french sailors off the Otago coast.

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Hours after making a miraculous escape from a badly damaged helicopter, Fiordland pilot Richard "Hannibal" Hayes was part of the rescue effort flying French sailors to safety off the Otago coast.

The crew of the trimaran Groupama 3 was taking part in a round-the-world yacht race when it overturned east of Dunedin yesterday afternoon.

The Te Anau pilot had started his day in spectacular fashion, nursing a badly damaged helicopter to a safe emergency landing after its rear rotor disintegrated.

Southern Lakes Helicopters operations manager Lloyd Matheson said it had been "an exceptional piece of flying" on Hayes' part to land the craft and walk away unscathed.

Hayes, who often flies tourists around the remote region, was taking part in a venison recovery operation in the Fiordland National Park when the tail rotor completely disintegrated at an altitude of about 4500ft.

Hayes' only option was to maintain forward momentum to steer the aircraft and keep it stable, Matheson said.

That meant him landing at a speed of 80 knots, risking his main rotors hitting the ground and possibly destroying the aircraft as it skidded 45m along the ground.

Hayes, the only occupant of the four-seater R44, walked away unscathed.

Hours later he was back in a helicopter to help in the rescue of the French sailors.

Hayes declined to talk to The Press last night after returning from the Dunedin rescue.

"He's told me he's not interested in talking to anyone," his wife, Carol, said.

Flying New Zealand president John McLean said Hayes' actions yesterday were "exceptional", yet not surprising.

"That's outstanding - what he's done today - but it doesn't come as a surprise that someone like Richard would actually do that.

"If he's called on to do things, he would just go on to do them."

To land an helicopter after losing the tail rotor was "exceptional", he said.

"It's pretty much all over when you lose your tail rotor, I would've thought, because you lose your stability.

"If you lose that, your ability to control it becomes very limited. To actually put it down. It's pretty exceptional."

Hayes was a legendary pilot who was at the top of his profession, McLean said.

He has been awarded the MNZM (Member of New Zealand Order of Merit) for his services to Search and Rescue, and last December was a recipient of the FAI (Federation Aeronautique Internationale) Outstanding Airman Award for helping to save lives in a 2005 Queenstown fire.

Only one pilot in the world is given the award in any year and Hayes was the first New Zealander to receive it.

The award recognised Hayes' work during a night-time bush fire near Queenstown in November 2005 when, using night-vision goggles, he flew for six hours above advancing flames, repeatedly dousing endangered houses with a monsoon bucket.

"A pilot like Richard is someone who is highly professional but goes about it as a job," McLean said.

The flying fraternity had huge respect for Hayes, he said.

"We would like to acknowledge what great respect we have for Richard as a helicopter pilot.

"And he's proven once again that he really is an outstanding airman.

"We are very lucky to have people like him flying helicopters, and who can do the sorts of things he can do ... someone with his skill and experience, as well as his courage and confidence, to get out there and do things without asking any questions. He just gets on with it."

Matheson said it appeared something had come out of the helicopter - which was flying with its doors open before the crash yesterday - and gone through the tail rotor.

"It was total disintegration of the tail rotor system."

 - with NZPA