The Civil Aviation Authority has placed a one kilometre cordon around the scene of Tuesday night's Waikato Westpac Rescue helicopter crash on Mt Pirongia and is telling sightseers to stay away.
The Kawasaki BK117 with three crew on board was on its way to retrieve a patient from the popular Pirongia Forest park near Te Awamutu when it went down around 5pm Tuesday.
Photos published on Stuff show the aircraft wedged nose-first into dense bush.
In an update on Wednesday, Auckland Westpac Helicopter said its crew were tasked to Mt. Pirongia alongside the Taranaki Rescue Helicopter to assist patients involved in a helicopter crash.
It was originally reported no one was injured, but in an update on Wednesday, Auckland Westpac Helicopter said three people were injured. But later in the day, Philips Search & Rescue Trust said there had in fact been no injuries.
"Auckland Westpac Rescue Helicopter crew winched out three male patients believed to be in their 40's, 60's and 70's," a spokesperson for Auckland Westpac Helicopter said.
"Three patients were flown to Waikato Hospital, all with minor injuries."
Philips Search & Rescue Trust later clarified they were only taken to hospital for a check-up, however.
It comes after police secured the site on Tuesday night where the helicopter crashed.
Search and Rescue's chief operating officer Chris Moody said on Tuesday the Hamilton-based Rescue Helicopter was on its way to a patient on Mount Pirongia, a popular hiking and recreational area located in the Waikato region.
Moody said, during the flight, an incident occurred that resulted in a "heavy landing" with a pilot, critical care flight paramedic and crewman onboard.
"Upon receiving news of the incident, two additional aircraft were immediately dispatched to the scene to provide assistance," Moody said.
"Their primary mission was to locate and extract both the patient and the helicopter's crew in a safe and efficient manner," he said.
"The swift response ensured that those involved in the incident were helped promptly and without any reported injuries."
Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has been informed and a spokesperson told Newshub investigators are likely to be at the scene on Wednesday to look at helicopter that remains in densh bush.
