The men are among 19 people killed in mast-bumping crashes in Robinson helicopters in New Zealand. Mast-bumping, sometimes called rotor blade divergence, occurs when an inner part of the main rotor mechanism hits the main rotor drive shaft. Pilots have less than a second to react before the blades slice through the cabin, causing the chopper to break up in flight. It can happen in any helicopter, usually in turbulent or low-gravity conditions, but in Robinsons it is almost always fatal.
Supplied
The wreckage of the helicopter crash that killed Stephen Anthony Nicholson Combe, 42, of Wānaka, and James Louis Patterson Gardner, 18, of Queenstown.
Robinson Helicopter Company under fire for crashes, lack of information stuff.co.nz - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from stuff.co.nz Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.