The bodies of two people killed in a plane crash near Nelson on Tuesday have been recovered, police say.
“The bodies were recovered from the site at approximately 4pm yesterday”, Detective Jonathon Evans said.
“Police thank the New Zealand Defence Force, and Fire and Emergency New Zealand for their assistance in accessing the site and for the recovery effort.”
The scene would now be handed over to the New Zealand Transport Accident Investigation Commission, Evans said.
The privately owned Cessna 172P Skyhawk carrying two people crashed south of North Castor Peak in the remote Bryant Range northeast of Nelson.
FlyInn, a Wānaka-based company offering self-fly holidays, later confirmed one of its planes was involved in the crash.
Stuff reported the victims were understood to be a Kiwi pilot and a foreign national.
“It is with an incredibly heavy heart we wish to advise one of our aircraft was involved in an accident in an area of New Zealand’s South Island,” FlyInn wrote on its website.
“Our thoughts are first and foremost with those directly affected, their families, and loved ones.”
It was focused on “supporting the police and rescue services in this ongoing operation”, FlyInn wrote in the message, which appears in place of the company’s website.
“We will provide further updates as and when we are in a position to do so. Customers with upcoming bookings, we will be in contact as soon as possible.”
Overseas pilots who booked with FlyInn were expected to do all the flying – once their overseas licence was validated – with the guide taking the right-side seat, according to the FlyInn website.
Guides were experienced mountain pilots and instructors who also acted as the visiting pilot’s “personal host”, taking care of logistics at each destination.
One of the company’s itineraries was an 11-day South Island trip that included a two-night stop in Nelson.
The four-seater aircraft involved in Tuesday’s crash, registered ZK-BFQ, left Nelson Airport about 9.10am on Tuesday.
Police were told just before noon the plane was overdue, prompting a search co-ordinated by Maritime New Zealand’s Rescue Co-ordination Centre.
According to Flightradar24, the plane reached an altitude of 944m before dropping to about 550m in 90 seconds.
Two rescue helicopters were sent to look for the plane before its “destroyed” wreckage was found about 20km northeast of Nelson.
“The two occupants were deceased and the aircraft was destroyed,” Transport Accident Investigation Commission chief investigator of accidents Louise Cook said in a media release yesterday.
Two investigators had been appointed, Cook said.
“[Their] first priority is evidence that could disappear or change, including the condition of the wreckage, electronic records and people’s recollections … access to the site and the time needed there will depend on terrain, weather and safety conditions.”
Investigations were to find out what happened and why, and identify lessons to improve transport safety, she said.
“Its inquiries focus on avoiding repeat accidents, rather than assigning blame or liability.”
The Civil Aviation Authority said it was saddened by the deaths and was working with police and other agencies to establish the circumstances of the incident.
There was sadness in Nelson after the loss of two lives, Nelson Mayor Nick Smith told NZME on Wednesday.
“Nelson is a small community and any tragedy of this sort does have reverberations right through the family and friends of the deceased, albeit at this stage we do not know whether the victims are in fact from Nelson or from further afield.”
Cherie Howie joined the Herald in 2011. She has been a journalist for more than 20 years and specialises in general news and features.