Two people have died after a light aircraft crashed in remote hill country south of Castor Peak, near Nelson at the top of New Zealand's South Island, New Zealand Police confirmed on Tuesday. The aircraft had taken off from Nelson Airport at about 9:10 a.m. local time and was reported overdue just before midday, triggering a search coordinated by Maritime New Zealand's Rescue Coordination Centre.

Source: New Zealand Police via LiveNews

In an official update issued at 8:29 p.m. New Zealand time, Nelson Area Commander Steven Collins confirmed that two people had died in the crash. Search teams located the aircraft in a remote area south of Castor Peak, close to the boundary between the Nelson and Marlborough regions, on the Marlborough side of the Whangamoa Saddle.

Police said recovery of the deceased and examination of the crash site were under way, and that the scene would be examined together with investigators from New Zealand's Civil Aviation Authority. Police have not yet released the aircraft's registration, its exact model, its operator, its intended destination, or the identities of the two people killed.

What the flight data shows — and what is not yet confirmed

Flight-tracking data reported by New Zealand media showed a Cessna Skyhawk taking off from Nelson Airport at 9:10 a.m. and flying into the hills near Whangamoa before its tracking data stopped. Nelson Mayor Nick Smith said the aircraft reached about 3,100 feet before dropping to around 1,800 feet and disappearing from radar near the Bryant Range, about 35 kilometres north-east of Nelson. Those details come from flight-tracking data and local officials, and have not been included in the police confirmation of the deaths.

Source: Marlborough Now

Mayor Smith said the Cessna was capable of carrying four people. The Nelson Aero Club confirmed the aircraft was not one of theirs. No cause for the crash has been established, and authorities have given no evidence linking the accident to weather conditions or mechanical failure.

Investigation under way in difficult terrain

The crash site lies in mountainous, relatively remote country, which can complicate search, recovery and investigation work. The Civil Aviation Authority is expected to work with police on examining the wreckage and reconstructing the circumstances of the flight. The accident involved a light aircraft, not a scheduled commercial passenger service, and no general suspension of operations at Nelson Airport has been announced.

Source: Aviation Today

What is solid

  • A light aircraft that left Nelson Airport at about 9:10 a.m. on Tuesday crashed south of Castor Peak, and both people aboard died — confirmed by NZ Police Area Commander Steven Collins.
  • The search was coordinated by Maritime NZ's Rescue Coordination Centre after the plane was reported overdue just before midday.
  • Civil Aviation Authority investigators are involved in examining the crash scene alongside police.

What is only claimed

  • The aircraft type (a Cessna Skyhawk), its climb to 3,100 feet and its loss from radar near the Bryant Range come from flight-tracking data and the Nelson mayor's remarks reported by local media; police have not confirmed the model or the flight path.
  • The cause of the crash is unknown; nothing released so far establishes weather or mechanical failure as a factor.

Police said further information would be released as it becomes available. Awaaz Punjab will update this story when the victims' identities and the investigators' first findings are officially confirmed.