A heroic pilot who helped saved dozens of homes from fire in Sydney’s south-west on the weekend has been reunited with his partner in hospital, one day after his helicopter crashed in rugged terrain in Kosciuszko National Park.

Philip O’Driscoll is making a steady recovery after injuring his knee and receiving cuts to his head in the crash - an event that is all too familiar to the veteran pilot.

In 2005, he was living out his dream, working for a mining company flying a helicopter in the remote Canadian wilderness.

An air ambulance winched the pilot from the crash site, which was in remote bushland near Cabramurra. (9NEWS) (9NEWS)

He was doing a routine pick-up of two geologists on a steep, snowy mountain slope. It was a technically challenging landing, but one the young pilot - who had already clocked up more than 7000 flying hours - had done many times before.

The steep slope prevented the chopper coming down to rest, meaning it had to balance the front of its skids into the snow while still in flight as the passengers climbed aboard.

But as the would-be passengers awaited Mr O'Driscoll's signal to board, the unthinkable happened - the helicopter suffered catastrophic engine failure.

Phil before the first accident in Canada. (9news)

“It was just a loud bang –just a really hollow, metallic bang like you bashed a hollow, empty drum,” Mr O’Driscoll told 60 Minutes in an interview back in 2007.

“The motor quit. I could have dropped straight down and rolled over backwards, I would have been fine but Emry (one of the passengers) would have definitely been dead.”

It was Mr O'Driscoll's split-second decision which followed that likely saved the lives of the two men below - but cost him dearly.

Instead of coming down to land, he flew up, trying to manoeuvre the chopper away from the nearby men.

The pilot's helicopter was completely destroyed in the inferno on a Canadian hillside. (60 Minutes) (60 Minutes)

He'd already undergone 39 operations to rebuild his face, arms and hands when he spoke to 60 Minutes in 2007. (60 Minutes) (60 Minutes)

And he was left with life-changing injuries, including deep burns to much of his body. (60 Minutes) (60 Minutes)

Mr O'Driscoll described the devastation of not being able to recognise the face looking back at him in the mirror. (60 Minutes) (60 Minutes)

But the helicopter quickly spiralled out of control, flipped and went careering down the mountainside. It went came down to land, it exploded in an enormous fireball.

“I just remember hot air on the side of my face and I thought ‘I better get out of here’. And then it just hit me – that’s not air, that’s fire. I’m burning," he said.

The then-33-year-old was left with life-changing burns to much of his body, including his face, arms and hands.

Partner Stacey-Lee Cullen has rushed to O'Driscoll's bedside in Canberra. (9NEWS) (9NEWS)

Philip O'Driscoll has been reunited with family in Canberra Hospital following yesterday's crash. (9NEWS) (9NEWS)

It was a long road to recovery for the Darwin lad - a recovery that was still ongoing when he spoke to Peter Overton on 60 Minutes in 2007.

At that time, he'd already undergone 39 operations, including dozens of excruciating skin grafts with a 40th operation being planned.

In the candid interview, he admitted there were times when it was all too much.

"I’d love to give up. I would love say ‘oh this is too hard, I’m going to go sit in the corner, wake me up in 40 years’. You can’t do it. You’ve got to keep going," he told Overton.

His 1965 UH-1H helicopter was donated to him by a Northern Territory family to help him get back on his feet following the 2005 crash. (9NEWS) (9NEWS)

The pilot's daughter Hannah was born six months after the 2005 crash which left him badly scarred. (9NEWS) (9NEWS)

It was the support of his family, including young daughter Hannah - who was born six months after the devastating crash - who kept him going.

Today, he was visited by his family, including his partner Stacey-Lee Cullen, and friends. He has been able to get up and walk around as he continues to recover in Canberra Hospital.

Despite the 2005 tragedy, Mr O'Driscoll refused to give up his life-long passion of flying.

In 2010, a Northern Territory family donated the UH-1H helicopter involved in yesterday’s crash to Mr O’Driscoll to help him get back on his feet – and back in the air.

Phil O'Driscoll's UH-1H helicopter waterbombing the Holsworthy blaze on the weekend. (AAP) (AAP)

The 45-year-old was working on the Snowy Hydro 2.0 project when his waterbombing helicopter went down on Tuesday afternoon .

He was the sole person on board the helicopter.

He was able to put out a distress call before the crash and an air ambulance was rushed to the remote bushland near Cabramurra from Canberra, where paramedics winched Mr O’Driscoll to safety.

They worked through the night to save dozens of homes around Menai. (9NEWS) (9NEWS)

As well as water bombing, hundreds of fire fighters were deployed to tackle the suspicious blaze in Sydney's south-west. (9NEWS) (9NEWS)

The helicopter had caught fire in the initial crash but the flames were extinguished.

The aviation enthusiast is based out of the Northern Territory, but has flown his UH-1H helicopter all over Australia.

On the weekend, his waterbombing efforts helped bring the ferocious Holsworthy blaze under control.

The suspicious blaze has so far burnt through more than 3700 hectares of bushland and threatened dozens of homes in Menai Voyager Point, Pleasure Point, Sandy Point, Alfords Point, Barden Ridge, Illawong, Menai and Bangor.

The helicopter also helped fight the Tathra bushfire in March which destroyed around 100 properties, according to AAP.