Light plane crash occured during classic plane 'fly-in'

Sunday, 14 August 2022

The light plane that crashed near Murchison, south of Nelson, is believed to be a classic Cessna plane that participated in a fly-in.

Two people were seriously injured after a light plane crashed on a private runway on Saturday at 3.30pm.

Nelson Marlborough Rescue Helicopter pilot Tim Douglas-Clifford said the crash took place in Tutaki Valley near Murchison.

He believed the plane was a Cessna 185, and that the crash occurred during a meet-up or “fly-in” of Cessna 180 and 185 owners.

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By the time Nelson Marlborough Rescue Helicopter arrived, other Cessna owners had already extracted the crew from their crashed plane, which had come down about 50 or 60 metres away from the landing strip.

Douglas-Clifford said the people did a good job removing the crew from the plane’s wreckage, despite the crash presumably being a traumatic experience.

Nelson Marlborough Rescue Helicopter and Greymouth Rescue Helicopter then took one patient each to Nelson Hospital.

“They were very, very lucky, it could have been a lot worse.”

It is believed that the two people involved in the crash are currently in a stable condition.

A police spokesperson said police received second-hand information of a mayday call around 3.30pm in the Murchison area and a light plane had crashed off the end of a private runway.

The matter has now been referred to the Civil Aviation Authority.

A spokesperson for the Rescue Coordination Centre New Zealand said an aircraft locator beacon was activated about 3.30pm and there were also distress calls from the aircraft.

On the New Zealand Cessna 180/185 Group’s website, it said that the Cessna 180/185 aircraft was an essential part of New Zealand’s flying history.

The aircraft had served as private and commercial planes, as well as mail carrier and livestock carriers, as the country's mountainous landscape suited the aircraft’s rugged capabilities.

The website said there were approximately 150 Cessna 180 or 185s in New Zealand.