A self-fly tourism company has confirmed that one of its aircraft was involved in a crash near Nelson that killed two people.
Around midday on Tuesday, police were notified that a Cessna 172P Skyhawk, which had taken off from Nelson Airport at 9.10am, was overdue. The plane was later found "destroyed" in a remote area south of Castor Peak, and two people were confirmed dead.
FlyInn – a Wānaka-based self-fly tour company that offered backcountry tours to licensed pilots – confirmed "with a heavy heart" that one of its aircraft was involved in the crash.
"Our thoughts are first and foremost with those directly affected, their families, and loved ones," a message on the company's website read.
"Our focus is on supporting the police and rescue services in this ongoing operation. We will provide further updates as and when we are in a position to do so."
It said customers with bookings would be contacted "as soon as possible".
The Transport Accident Investigation Commission confirmed it had launched an investigation into the crash yesterday,
It said the aircraft was "destroyed" in the crash.
The commission has appointed a team to investigate the crash, which will first focus on evidence that could disappear or change, including the condition of the wreckage, electronic records and witness recollections.
Access to the crash site and how long investigators can spend there will depend on terrain, weather, and safety conditions.
Investigators will then interview witnesses and obtain available flight-tracking data, cockpit recordings, and radio communications. They will also gather information about the weather, the aircraft’s maintenance history, the pilot and the planned flight.
"The purpose of Transport Accident Investigation Commission inquiries is to improve transport safety by identifying lessons that can help the transport sector avoid similar accidents, rather than to assign blame or establish liability," chief investigator of accidents Louise Cook said.
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