The Smart Marty Sky Dispatch
'Well-respected' flight instructor among two dead in Nelson plane crash
The two men died after the Cessna 172P Skyhawk crashed near Castor Peak on November 3.
Two people have died in a plane crash near Castor Peak, following an incident involving a Cessna 172P Skyhawk. Initial reports identified the event as a fatal crash, with authorities later confirming the fatalities.
Police named the two deceased as 67-year-old Nicholas Charles Taylor of Alexandra and 76-year-old Alain Henri Copine, a Belgium national. The pair died after the aircraft crashed in a remote area south of Castor Peak after taking off from Nelson Airport.
The flight took off at 9:10 a.m. local time from Nelson Airport and was reported overdue to authorities just before midday, leading to the discovery of the wreckage.
The Central Otago Flying Club identified Taylor as a long-serving chief flight instructor and described him as well-respected and well-liked within the club and the broader local flying community. FlyInn, a Wanaka-based tour company, acknowledged involvement with one of its aircraft in the crash.
The New Zealand Transport Accident Investigation Commission has launched an investigation, confirming that the aircraft was destroyed in the incident and that details about flight specifics and causes have not yet been disclosed.