Australians have paid tribute to the three
Royal New Zealand Air Force personnel, killed when their Iroquois helicopter crashed north of Wellington...
The three pilots were remembered as part of
Anzac Day commemorations in Hobart, Tasmania, yesterday.
Australian Peacekeeper and Peacemaker Veterans' Association of Tasmania, Phil Pyke, said many Australians had served alongside
Flight Lieutenant Hayden Peter Madsen, who was one of those killed yesterday.
Mr Pyke said Mr Madsen served in the
Solomon Islands as operations officer for the for the aviation group as part of the Joint Task Force.
"We remember their families and Squadron members at this difficult time," Mr Pyke said.
Australia
Prime Minister Kevin Rudd said he was deeply saddened by the deaths, the Australian newspaper reported.
"I extend, on behalf of the
Australian government and people, our condolences to the families of the victims, to the service men and women of the
New Zealand Defence Forces, and to the government and people of New Zealand."
Mr Rudd said the date of the accident compounded the helicopter tragedy.
"This tragedy is an especially poignant reminder of the risks that our men and women in uniform continually face on behalf of our two nations and for our freedoms," he said.
Flight Lieutenant Madsen, 33,
Flying Officer Daniel Stephen Gregory. 28 and Corporal Benjamin Andrew Carson, 25, were all killed when the Iroquois crashed into the side of a mountain while on their way to take part in Anzac commemorations in Wellington.
Their bodies were found by an Air Force crewman who ran 2km through steep and rugged uphill terrain to get to the mangled helicopter wreck.
The man was on board one of three Iroquois helicopters flying in formation from Ohakea air base to Anzac Day services in Wellington, when another of the aircraft crashed in heavy cloud, killing the three men shortly before 6am yesterday.
Another crewman survived and was last night in a stable condition in Wellington Hospital.
Several investigations have started into the tragedy, which came on the day New Zealand remembered those who gave their lives for their country.
Image via Wikipedia
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