Aircraft Crash in Southern Kaimanawas

The Rescue Coordination Centre New Zealand (RCCNZ) has this morning coordinated the successful rescue of two people and their two dogs from a crashed aircraft in the southern Kaimanawas.

The aircraft, a Piper Cub single engine light aircraft was found upturned on Boyd Airstrip approximately 25 miles southeast of Taupo at 10.51am this morning.

The RCCNZ was alerted to the incident at 8.45am by aircraft reporting a beacon signal between Napier and Palmerston North. To ensure a timely response a helicopter was tasked at 9.30 am to search the area because the next satellite pass that could have detected the distress beacon was not due to pass overhead until about 10 am. That satellite did confirm that a distress beacon was active in the area to be searched. At 10.51am the helicopter crew sighted the upturned aircraft and picked up the two people and their dogs and transferred them to their destination. All on board are reported to be uninjured.

Search Mission Coordinator, David Wilson, of the RCCNZ was satisfied with the quick and successful search.

“The RCCNZ was able to quickly establish that the beacon activation was authentic and the response from the helicopter to get in the air and locate the aircraft within 90 minutes resulted in a successful rescue of everyone on board,” said Mr Wilson.

The RCCNZ is now liaising with the Civil Aviation Authority about any investigation.

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