Post by Dave Homewood on Jun 25, 2017 19:56:55 GMT 12
One dead in Otago small plane crash
MICHAEL HAYWARD
Last updated 19:50, June 25 2017
A microlight has crashed near Middlemarch in Otago, leaving one person dead and another seriously injured.
Emergency services were alerted to an overdue aircraft just after 2pm, Sunday.
Rescue Coordination Centre NZ spokesman Vince Cholewa said the plane left Taieri in good weather about 10.30am. It was due at Omarama at 11.45am, but did not arrive.
Cholewa said a distress beacon was not activated and there was no flight tracking.
Two helicopters were sent to search for the plane. It was found crashed to the northeast of Middlemarch about 4pm by another plane unrelated to the search.
Cholewa said the small plane crashed in "rolling but heavily undulating terrain".
Emergency services were at the scene, he said.
The injured man was taken to Dunedin hospital.
No further information would be released about the dead person, including their gender, until next of kin had been contacted.
The incident was referred to the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA).
CAA spokeswoman Philippa Lagan confirmed the aircraft was a microlight.
"We'll be making a decision tomorrow about whether we send a safety investigator down there or not."
www.stuff.co.nz/national/94063830/one-injured-in-otago-plane-crash
MICHAEL HAYWARD
Last updated 19:50, June 25 2017
A microlight has crashed near Middlemarch in Otago, leaving one person dead and another seriously injured.
Emergency services were alerted to an overdue aircraft just after 2pm, Sunday.
Rescue Coordination Centre NZ spokesman Vince Cholewa said the plane left Taieri in good weather about 10.30am. It was due at Omarama at 11.45am, but did not arrive.
Cholewa said a distress beacon was not activated and there was no flight tracking.
Two helicopters were sent to search for the plane. It was found crashed to the northeast of Middlemarch about 4pm by another plane unrelated to the search.
Cholewa said the small plane crashed in "rolling but heavily undulating terrain".
Emergency services were at the scene, he said.
The injured man was taken to Dunedin hospital.
No further information would be released about the dead person, including their gender, until next of kin had been contacted.
The incident was referred to the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA).
CAA spokeswoman Philippa Lagan confirmed the aircraft was a microlight.
"We'll be making a decision tomorrow about whether we send a safety investigator down there or not."
www.stuff.co.nz/national/94063830/one-injured-in-otago-plane-crash
