SUPPLIED
Royal New Zealand Air Force NH90 helicopters are operational again after a 48-hour pause.
The Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF) NH90 medium utility helicopters are back in the air after a 48-hour pause for assessment.
The helicopters were put on hold on Tuesday after a similar aircraft from the Australian Army, MRH90 Taipan, crashed and four people were feared dead in an incident that occurred last week during exercise Talisman Sabre, in the Whitsundays, off Queensland.
Three of New Zealand’s NH90’s were deployed on exercise Talisman Sabre but were not part of Friday’s crash.
As the Taipan and NH90’s are similar aircraft types, RNZAF decided to pause flying the eight New Zealand helicopters as a “precaution”.
RNZAF chief air vice-marshal Andrew Clarke said the pause was so the air force could conduct a risk assessment on the helicopters.
“That assessment looked at airworthiness and safety, including systems and processes, as well as any new information from the Australian Defence Force, other users and the manufacturer.”
From the pause no new hazards or elevated risks were identified that were not already considered within the helicopters “airworthiness framework”, Clarke said.
In accordance to the findings, Clarke has lifted the operating pause without any restrictions.
Clarke said the pause was not a “grounding”, which is a formal declaration by regulators that an aircraft can’t fly.
The NH90’s operate out of the No.3 Squadron base in Ohakea in the Manawatū and are often used in emergency situations, such as Cyclone Gabrielle, where they played a crucial role in recusing people earlier this year.
