Auckland Rescue Helicopter Trust/Supplied
The helicopter’s main rotor damaged the aircraft in the sudden gust of wind.
An Auckland rescue helicopter has been damaged after it was hit by a “heavy and unexpected wind gust”.
The Auckland Rescue Helicopter Trust’s BK-117 helicopter was hit by a gust of wind after it landed and as it was shutting down following a rescue mission on Friday afternoon.
“During a heavy and unexpected wind gust, the main rotor damaged the aircraft,” the trust said in a statement.
Four crew members were on the helicopter at the time. None were injured.
The Civil Aviation Authority has been informed of the incident.
It is the second time in recent weeks that a rescue helicopter has been damaged.
On September 19, a Philips Search and Rescue Trust helicopter endured a “heavy landing” on Mt Pirongia in Waikato.
No one was injured, but the helicopter suffered significant damage.
