Post by Dave Homewood on Dec 19, 2009 10:00:25 GMT 12
tvnz.co.nz/national-news/two-pilots-die-in-separate-crashes-3315042
Two pilots die in separate crashes
Shocked witnesses were unable to revive a novice hang glider pilot after he lost control and crashed into a cliff at Karioitahi Beach, south west of Auckland on Friday.
Bradley Mark Cameron, 39, of Remuera in Auckland, was the second pilot to die in the last 24 hours after a 55 year old man was killed when his glider crashed south of Blenheim.
Cameron had recently qualified as a hang glider pilot and was flying work friends from the cliff top at Karioitahi about 3pm Friday, say police.
Constable Lorraine Borrell from Waiuku police said his friends helped him launch his glider.
"He flew for approximately four minutes quite normally then he lost altitude and turned into towards the cliff face. The witness said he didn't even try to turn out of it. He just went into the cliff face and crashed into the rocks."
Cameron was alive but unconscious when his friends reached him but they could not get him out of his harness because he was suspended between two rock faces.
"They knew they had to get him out but they couldn't so they had to wait until surf rescue staff came up.
They lifted him out of the harness eventually and did CPR but no success."
The cause of the accident was being investigated.
Cameron was wearing a helmet but took most of the impact of the crash on his chest and died soon after resuscitation efforts began.
Meanwhile investigators were on their way to the scene of a glider crash approximately 7km south of Blenheim on Orchard Spur near the Taylor Pass area which killed the pilot.
The dead man was an experienced glider pilot who lived and worked in Blenheim, Constable Bill Talbot of Blenheim Police search and rescue said.
The glider left Omaka Airfield about 8.30am yesterday and the pilot intended to fly south to the Lake Coleridge area near Mt Hutt and then return to Blenheim, a round trip of about 12 hours, Talbot said.
A search for the plane was launched after the tow pilot raised the alarm about 9.30pm Friday.
The wreckage of the glider was found about 3am Saturday.
Civil Aviation Authority investigations into the cause of the crash will start on Saturday
Two pilots die in separate crashes
Shocked witnesses were unable to revive a novice hang glider pilot after he lost control and crashed into a cliff at Karioitahi Beach, south west of Auckland on Friday.
Bradley Mark Cameron, 39, of Remuera in Auckland, was the second pilot to die in the last 24 hours after a 55 year old man was killed when his glider crashed south of Blenheim.
Cameron had recently qualified as a hang glider pilot and was flying work friends from the cliff top at Karioitahi about 3pm Friday, say police.
Constable Lorraine Borrell from Waiuku police said his friends helped him launch his glider.
"He flew for approximately four minutes quite normally then he lost altitude and turned into towards the cliff face. The witness said he didn't even try to turn out of it. He just went into the cliff face and crashed into the rocks."
Cameron was alive but unconscious when his friends reached him but they could not get him out of his harness because he was suspended between two rock faces.
"They knew they had to get him out but they couldn't so they had to wait until surf rescue staff came up.
They lifted him out of the harness eventually and did CPR but no success."
The cause of the accident was being investigated.
Cameron was wearing a helmet but took most of the impact of the crash on his chest and died soon after resuscitation efforts began.
Meanwhile investigators were on their way to the scene of a glider crash approximately 7km south of Blenheim on Orchard Spur near the Taylor Pass area which killed the pilot.
The dead man was an experienced glider pilot who lived and worked in Blenheim, Constable Bill Talbot of Blenheim Police search and rescue said.
The glider left Omaka Airfield about 8.30am yesterday and the pilot intended to fly south to the Lake Coleridge area near Mt Hutt and then return to Blenheim, a round trip of about 12 hours, Talbot said.
A search for the plane was launched after the tow pilot raised the alarm about 9.30pm Friday.
The wreckage of the glider was found about 3am Saturday.
Civil Aviation Authority investigations into the cause of the crash will start on Saturday
