A man is dead after a helicopter crash near Gisborne on Thursday morning.
The 53-year-old, from Gisborne, was a passenger on the helicopter, which crashed about 11am at a logging skid site on Paritu Road off State Highway 2.
The helicopter was delivering supplies and equipment to another site for a burn-off operation near the Wharerata Ranges.
The pilot is in Gisborne Hospital in a stable condition with leg injuries.
Police say it's not yet known why the chopper crashed.
Senior Sergeant Lincoln Sycamore says there were several witnesses at the site.
He says the Civil Aviation Authority is investigating.
