Sydney helicopter crash bodies recovered

Sydney businessman Bruce Campbell, 65, and his pilot Col, 35, were killed in the dramatic incident.

Mr Campbell, owner of Davcron Engineering, was making his weekly trip from the company's headquarters in Granville to his home at the family property at Wyee when the chopper crashed.

The helicopter was torn apart as it crashed into bushland at South Turramurra, near Kissing Point Rd, at about 9.15am.

Emergency services found the burning wreck of the Bell 206 at the bottom of a 10-metre cliff and had to abseil down to reach the crash site.

Fire and Rescue NSW inspector Chris Bishop said central impact was at the base of the cliff.

"The scene was horrific," Mr Bishop said.

The chopper was destroyed. It was a horrific scene for all crews working there."

Witnesses have told police the helicopter suffered a mechanical failure before it went down.

"A number of witnesses said they saw a part fly off the back of the helicopter," he said.

Kevin Williams, who is a volunteer with the Ku-ring-gai Netball Association, told the North Shore Times he was in the clubhouse near the crash scene at the time of the accident.

"I heard a clatter, clatter and I rushed outside of the netball clubhouse a couple of paces and I saw black smoke coming from out of the bush.

"Apparently it came across upside down."

He said the clubhouse was being used as a command post.

Another resident who did not wish to be named said she heard a loud noise about 8.30am.

"I think the helicopter must have clipped the top of a tree before going down," she said.

"The helicopter had been overhead for at least 30 minutes before the accident.

Mr Greenwood was not the regular pilot of the helicopter but he had flown Mr Campbell from western Sydney to Wyee more than 40 times, Mr Stephens said.

Heavy rain delayed investigations into the crash on Friday.

The bodies were not removed until 3.25pm (AEST) on Saturday - 30 hours after the helicopter had crashed and caught fire.

Police had originally planned to airlift them out of bushland but chose to put their bodies on stretchers because of the rugged terrain, a spokesman told AAP.

Investigators returned to the site shortly after 8am (AEST) on Saturday, when the rain had cleared.

A forensics team spent much of the day taking photographs.

A police Eurocopter repeatedly flew over the crash site, using a netball court at the end of Canoon Road as a helipad.

Police rescuers were seen preparing to abseil down the steep cliffs during the morning, before the media were asked to move further back.

A couple visited the netball court, used as a police command post, and laid a bunch of sunflowers with a card which said: "In loving memory of Bruce and Col. Love always Sean, Michelle and Liam."

They declined to speak to the media.

The bodies will now be taken to a morgue for a post-mortem.

Kuring-Gai Local Area Command police are preparing a report for the NSW Coroner.

Mr Campbell founded Davcron Engineering Pty Ltd, based at Granville, in the early 1980s, naming the firm after his three sons David, Christian and Simon.

Mr Campbell was a grandfather of five.

His wife Colleen died of cancer several years ago while Mr Campbell himself recently beat bowel cancer.

"That's why we all thought he was made of granite," Mr Stephens said.