One pilot dead, one injured

The Duo Discus glider, above, which crashed into Mt St Cuthbert, overlooking Omarama, yesterday....
The Duo Discus glider, above, which crashed into Mt St Cuthbert, overlooking Omarama, yesterday. Photo from The Helicopter Line.

The Duo Discus glider, above, which crashed into Mt St Cuthbert, overlooking Omarama, yesterday....
The Duo Discus glider, above, which crashed into Mt St Cuthbert, overlooking Omarama, yesterday. Photo from The Helicopter Line.
A Japanese pilot was killed and an English pilot seriously injured after their glider crashed into Mount St Cuthbert, overlooking Omarama, yesterday afternoon.

The Duo Discus two-seater glider belonging to Glide-Omarama had just been launched from Omarama Airport and was over the mountain, one of the points where gliders gain height before setting off, when it crashed into a ridge about 2pm.

The white wreckage was visible from Omarama. The names of the two pilots were not available last night, police saying they needed to notify next of kin overseas.

GlideOmarama owner Gavin Wills said both pilots were experienced and familiar with flying in the Omarama area. One had 22,000 hours' flying experience and the other 1000 hours.

They were beginning a training flight when the crash occurred.

Other glider pilots flying in the area immediately called in the emergency.

Oamaru police sergeant Tony Woodbridge said two helicopters were called to the crash site with search and rescue, a doctor and medical staff.

An Australian emergency doctor at Omarama, who is also a glider pilot, flew in with them to treat the pilots.

The seriously injured English pilot was flown to Omarama and then to Dunedin Hospital.

A helicopter team recovered the body of the dead Japanese pilot, which was flown to the neighbouring Wardells airfield for identification.

No apparent cause of the crash, which will be investigated by the Civil Aviation Authority assisted by police, was available yesterday.

The fatal accident is the third in three years and the sixth since 1972.

It follows the December 2007 death of German gliding champion Herbert Weiss in the World GP Gliding Championships at Omarama.

In November 2006, British father-and-son team Owen and James Truelove died after a downdraught dropped their glider into a steep slope near Mt Prospect.

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