The pilot who was killed along with six others in a helicopter crash in Fox Glacier was not adequately trained, according to a report from the Transport Accident Investigation Commission (TAIC).
In November 2015, a routine scenic flight turned disastrous when the helicopter carrying seven people was reported overdue.
Its wreckage was found shortly after, on a glacier. There were no survivors.
On Thursday, the TAICS final report on what caused the crash was released. It found the pilot of the helicopter was not properly trained, and did not have sufficient experience for the flight.
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"The operators system for training its pilots was ill-defined and did not comply fully with Civil Aviation Rules," said TAIC chief commissioner Jane Meares.
On top of this, the weather conditions on the day of the crash were "unstable and unsuitable" for conducting a commercial flight - and the report has found this was likely a common occurrence.
"The localised weather conditions…were very likely to have been frequently below the minimum criteria required by CAA rules," read the report.
In 2014, TAIC requested the CAA make a formal record of any serious safety issues found, and ensure air operators corrected them.
According to the report, Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) had confronted the operator of the Fox Glacier helicopter flight about their training systems, but nothing changed.
"The CAA identified significant non-compliance issues with the operators training system and managerial oversight prior to the incident," said Meares on Thursday.
"However, the CAA did not intervene and the operator was allowed to continue providing helicopter air operations."
Last week the owner of the helicopter company was fined $64,000 for failing to take all practical steps to keep his employees and others safe.
These included training, weight and balance and supervision.
He had already paid $125,000 as voluntary reparations to each family who lost a loved one in the crash - a total of $875,000.
Newshub.
