‘There was a hell of a bang’: Two dead after two planes smash into each other mid-air and explode into flames
- Two aircrafts crashed on Sunday morning in Masteron, New Zealand
- Planes collided while they were around 90m off the ground killing both pilots
- One plane was a training aircraft and the other had just dropped skydivers
Two pilots have died after their planes collided near an aerodrome in New Zealand.
The crash happened on Sunday morning in Masterton, 100km north east of Wellington, on the North Island.
It is believed the planes crashed around 90 metres off the ground before spiralling to Earth and bursting into flames.
The collision occurred 1km away from the Hood Aerodrome (pictured) and left two pilots dead
Emergency services were called to the crash site, around 1km away from Masterton’s Hood Aerodrome, at around 11.15am on Sunday.
One of the planes was a training aircraft and the other was returning to the aerodrome after dropping off four skydivers.
Michael O’Donnell, from the Wairarapa Aero Club, confirmed one of their member’s had died.
‘Clearly the club is in shock. We’re working with authorities,’ O’Donnell said. ‘It’s not something we would expect in this weather.’
The weather on Saturday morning was clear and sunny.
Those living in the area witnessed the incident and described the huge amount of debris that was left from the crash.
Witnesses told how there was a loud bang when the planes collided followed by debris as the aircrafts came down.
‘There was a hell of a bang and then they fell apart and came spiralling down’ Graham Pearce told Stuff when he was visiting his daughter in the nearby area.
It’s been reported that the other plane involved belonged to Skydive Wellington which operated out of the Hood Aerodrome.
‘All I saw was these two planes hit and the debris just coming down,’ Mr Pearce’s daughter Carolyn Playford said.
The aircrafts collided 90m above the ground and spiralled down before bursting into flames (file image)
Fire crews managed to extinguish the fire but the pilots were announced dead at teh scene.
One of the victims will be removed from the site on Sunday evening but the other will remain overnight until the scene is investigated.
The Civil Aviation Authority said they would be sending an investigation team to the site on Monday to identify the cause of the crash.
The aerodrome, owned by the Wellington council, are supporting the emergency services.
‘We have a close-knit community at Hood Aerodrome and the incident has understandably rocked that community,’ Masterton mayor Lyn Patterson said.