Article Posted on : - Apr 26, 2010

New Zealand military helicopter . A file photo

WELLINGTON, NEW ZEALAND (AP): Three airmen were killed and a fourth was seriously hurt after a New Zealand military helicopter en route to a military memorial crashed on farmland north of the capital, Wellington, emergency services said Sunday.

Earlier, three Vietnam-era Iroquois military helicopters failed to appear at a scheduled fly past at a dawn service in the capital to commemorate the 95th anniversary of the landing of New Zealand and Australian troops at Gallipoli in Turkey during World War I.

Police and ambulance services said they found three dead at the scene on farmland about 40 kilometres northeast of Wellington after responding to an emergency call about 6:45 am local time (1845 GMT Saturday).

A fourth person had serious injuries and was transported by ambulance to a hospital.