Woman, local pilot killed in glider crash in Taupō
Monday, 1 June 2020
A Wellington couple’s holiday weekend jaunt to Taupō has ended in tragedy after a paid glider flight crashed into a mountain, killing a woman and the pilot.
The 42-year-old woman and the Taupō pilot, a man in his 70s, both died when the glider struck Mt Tauhara, about six kilometres out of Tāupo, on Sunday afternoon.
The woman who died and her husband had been visiting Taupō for the long holiday weekend from their home in Wellington.
On Sunday they were undertaking a paid glider flight service.
The husband took the first trip up in the glider piloted by a local Taupō man, Bay of Plenty Police area commander for Taupō, Inspector Warwick Morehu told Stuff.
He returned to the airfield where his wife boarded for the next trip.
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But during the flight, the glider crashed on the western side of the 3570ft dormant volcano in an area of dense bush, not far from the top, Morehu said.
Exactly what happened was being investigated by both the CAA and Transport and Accident Investigation Commission.
He said the pilot was understood to be a member of the Taupō Gliding Club.
The woman and her husband were New Zealand residents and part of the Muslim community. Members of the faith from both Wellington and Hamilton had travelled to Taupō to support the man as he grieved.
Morehu said an off-duty police officer visiting the area for Queen’s Birthday was one of the first on the scene around 2.45pm.
He was on the mountain when alerted to the crash and made his way to the wreckage a few hundred metres from the walking track on the popular hike, where he located the pair.
Unfortunately both died at the scene.
Due to impending darkness, weather conditions and location the glider and the pair’s bodies were left on the mountain under police guard overnight.
On Monday morning a recovery operation was launched.
Bad weather made it difficult, Morehu said, but there was a window of opportunity and with the use of a helicopter police managed to get a specialist team onto the mountain.
“It took just over an hour to get the first body out of the plane wreckage and then it was quite fast to get the second person out.”
Strong winds caused some issues, he said, and a second helicopter able to withstand the gusts was brought in and used to remove the bodies from the mountain.
The pair were transported to Taupō Airport where family members had gathered for a service before further disaster victim identification processes were undertaken.
Morehu said authorities understood the cultural values of the deceased and were working to speedily assist the woman’s family in releasing her body as soon as possible.
A rahui has been placed on the mountain for five days, ending sunrise on Saturday out of respect for the families, the Tauhara Mountain Trust said.
In 2005 three people died when a charter plane coming into land at Taupō Airport crashed into the mountain.
Australian businessman Bernie Lewis, 66, his wife Christine and pilot Steve Brown were killed when a Piper Seneca flying from Kerikeri to Taupō, smashed into Mt Tauhara in thick fog.
It had been on its approach to land at Taupō Airport when it crashed about two-thirds of the way up.
The Transport and Accident Investigation Commission has also launched an inquiry into Sunday's crash with two investigators expected to arrive at the site on Monday afternoon, senior communications advisor Simon Pleasants said.
Investigators will spend several days undertaking a scene examination including mapping and measuring the site and examining the placement of the aircraft and any wreckage.
The wreckage will then be transported to a secure facility in Wellington for further investigations.
'The commission opens an inquiry when it believes recommendations or lessons can be learnt and help improve transport safety.'