Community in shock at death of top-dressing pilot
The death of an experienced and wellknown top-dressing pilot has come as a shock to the close-knit Carterton community.
Mayor Greg Lang said the death of the sole occupant of the plane, which crashed yesterday morning as it was taking off, was a tragedy.
The plane, a PAC Cresco aircraft, crashed in near-perfect conditions on a farm on Ruakiwi Rd, near Carterton.
The man, in his 50s, died at the scene. Police said next of kin had been informed, but they were yet to name the victim.
A fertiliser truck driver was also on site during the crash, but was believed to be unhurt.
Police Inspector Scott Miller said it was a tragic situation and his thoughts were with the family of the dead man.
‘‘It looks like they were taking off and something has happened on or around take-off. The local top-dressing firm were working off an airstrip on the farm which was used for that purpose.’’
He said the dead man was an experienced and well-known pilot.
The pilot was an employee of Aerowork Aerial Spreading, which is owned by fertiliser company Ravensdown.
A Ravensdown spokesperson said it was too soon to say what happened and an investigation was ongoing.
‘‘As a close-knit team, there are feelings of shock and sadness as we grapple with this terrible incident,’’ the spokesperson said.
‘‘The pilot was an experienced, dedicated and hugely valued team member.
‘‘Out of respect for the family’s privacy, we will not be confirming the individual’s identity, to give them time to process the devastating news.’’ Police were first alerted about 7.30am. Lang said the news came as a shock for a community already struggling with the implications of Covid-19.
‘‘These events are tragic at any time, but this death is made even harder to take with the community in lockdown.
‘‘Today’s news will be extremely hard to bear for all of those involved – my thoughts go out to all of them at this tremendously difficult time.’’