The lure of a fly-fishing river ended with a pilot being the one who got away.
A microlight pilot walked away unscathed after crash-landing his P2202 Tecnam light aircraft near McPhees Creek in the Rock and Pillar range, west of Middlemarch, about 9.30am yesterday.
He had spotted a ''decent fly-fishing spot'' but misjudged his landing at a nearby grass strip, Rescue Co-ordination Centre New Zealand (RCCNZ) spokesman Steve Rendle said.
''That didn't go well. He has damaged the wings and the undercarriage.''
The 54-year-old pilot contacted the RCCNZ and set off his beacon. The Otago Regional Rescue Helicopter was sent to the scene.
The man, who was uninjured, was taken by helicopter back to Taieri, where his flight originated. Senior Sergeant Brian Benn, of Dunedin, said police were placed on standby but were not required to attend the incident.
