Marlborough Express
A Cessna 185 similar to the one that crashed at Murchison. (file photo)
The light aircraft that crashed near Murchison, south of Nelson, is believed to be a classic Cessna aircraft participating in a fly-in.
Two people were seriously injured after a light plane crashed into a private runway at 3:30 p.m. Saturday.
Nelson Marlborough Rescue Helicopter pilot Tim Douglas-Clifford said the crash happened in Tutaki Valley near Murchison.
He believed the plane was a Cessna 185 and that the crash occurred during a meeting or “fly-in” of owners of Cessna 180 and 185.
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MARTIN DE RUYTER/STUFF
The plane crashed from a private airstrip in the Tutaki Valley near Murchison. (file photo)
By the time Nelson Marlborough Rescue Helicopter arrived, other Cessna owners had already removed the crew from their downed plane, which had come down about 50 or 60 meters from the runway.
Douglas-Clifford said people did well to get the crew out of the wreckage of the plane, despite the crash being believed to have been a traumatic experience.
Nelson Marlborough Rescue Helicopter and Greymouth Rescue Helicopter then each took one patient to Nelson Hospital.
“They’ve been very, very lucky. It could have been a lot worse.”
It is believed that the two people involved in the accident are currently in a stable condition.
A police spokesman said police received second-hand information about a distress call in the Murchison area around 3:30 p.m. and that a light aircraft had crashed at the end of a private runway.
The case has now been referred to the Civil Aviation Authority.
NELSON MARLBOROUGH RESCUE HELICO/Nelson Mail
The light aircraft that crashed near Murchison on Saturday is believed to be a Cessna 185, a classic aircraft, similar to this one that crashed near Kekerengu in 2017 (file photo)
A spokesman for the New Zealand Rescue Coordination Center said an aircraft tracking beacon was activated around 3:30 p.m. and there were also distress calls from the plane.
On the New Zealand Cessna 180/185 Group‘s website, stated that the Cessna 180/185 aircraft was an essential part of New Zealand’s flying history.
The aircraft had served as private and commercial aircraft, as well as mail and livestock carriers, as the country’s mountainous landscape suited the aircraft’s rugged capabilities.
According to the website, there were about 150 Cessna 180 or 185s in New Zealand.