Kelby Cheyne
The family of a former Dunedin man who escaped injury in
an aircraft crash which claimed four lives - including that of
another New Zealander - is breathing a sigh of relief.
Kelby Cheyne (25) walked away from the crash in Papua New
Guinea on Tuesday with only severe bruising, after breaking
the window of the cockpit to make his escape shortly before
the aircraft burst into flames.
Selena Cheyne told the Otago Daily Times yesterday it
was amazing her brother - a New Zealander now living in
Australia - survived the crash of the Transair Cessna
Citation.
"We are all relieved," Ms Cheyne said.
The bodies of the three Australians and one New Zealander
killed in the crash were recovered yesterday from the remote
crash site on Misima Island, Milne Bay, in PNG's southeast.
Ms Cheyne, who is based in Sydney, was preparing to fly to
see her brother, who was discharged from Townsville Hospital
yesterday, NZPA reported, and to join their father, Geoff
Kelby, who is a former Dunedin dentist.
Mr Cheyne, the co-pilot of the aircraft, grew up in Dunedin,
before moving to Twizel when he was 12 and to Brisbane two
years later.
His father now runs a dental practice in Toowoomba.
The family, in a statement yesterday, thanked everyone for
their support but requested privacy.
"We wish to say that our son and brother Kelby Cheyne is
recovering well ...
"We would like to extend our sincere condolences to the
families of those who lost loved ones in this accident."
The four people killed in the crash were Sydney-based marine
pilot Richard "Chris" Hart (61), Transair part-owner Les
Wright (59), of Queensland, flight instructor Darren Moore
(44), from Western Australia, and a New Zealander, as yet
unnamed.
The New Zealander killed worked for Medivac company
International SOS.
The company confirmed he was one of its employees.
Investigators from Australia are working with Papua New
Guinean authorities to determine why the aircraft overshot
the Misima Island runaway in wet and windy conditions.
The Civil Aviation Authority of Papua New Guinea is
investigating the incident and said it had recovered the
flight box recorder from the aircraft.
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