A pilot who flew to save lives was one of three men who died yesterday in a horrifying mid-air crash above Paraparaumu Airport.
Dave Fielding and the student pilot he was taking on the final qualifying exam for his private pilot's licence were killed instantly when their helicopter and a Cessna aircraft smashed into each other just a few hundred metres above the airport.
The Cessna pilot, who was pulled from the wreckage of his plane with critical injuries, died several hours later in Wellington Hospital.
Wreckage from both aircraft plummeted on to busy streets, shops and houses. Emergency services personnel were surprised no-one on the ground was injured.
The helicopter crashed on to the roof of the timber yard of the local Placemakers hardware store. One witness described the wreckage as looking like a screwed-up ball of paper. The plane plunged into nearby Dennis Taylor Court, a quiet cul-de-sac.
It could be several days before the wreckage is cleared, as investigators record where items are found and secure them for analysis as part of a Civil Aviation Authority inquiry into how the crash happened.
Specialist police disaster victim identification teams were working to remove the two bodies from the helicopter crash scene at Placemakers last night.
‘‘It will be a difficult job and could take some time,'' police said. The coroner and police did not release the names of those killed last night. They said some family members were still to be traced and formal identification made.
Security guards were to remain overnight at Placemakers and also in Dennis Taylor Court, where the Cessna fuselage remained upside down.
Mr Fielding, who is survived by his partner and a three month-old daughter, was base manager of Palmerston North's Square Trust Rescue Helicopter. He had flown the rescue helicopter for 14 months, and was a highly-qualified flight instructor and flight examiner, approved by the Civil Aviation Authority.
The helicopter Mr Fielding and his student were flying was owned by Helipro. The company's business manager, John Read, said the crash was a terrible tragedy.
‘‘He was an outstanding guy, and our sympathy goes out to all the families involved,'' Mr Read said. ‘‘He was working for Flight Test New Zealand and they come in on regular intervals to test our students.
Dave was a very, very experienced A-Category instructor and the student was a very well-liked and capable young guy.''
Kapiti Aero Club president Graham Barrell said Mr Fielding was ‘‘one of New Zealand's top helicopter pilots''. ‘‘Dave would be [one of] the most competent handlers, an A-Cat instructor, a wizard in a helicopter,'' said Mr Barrell.
The student is understood to have been from Nelson. The pilot of the Kapiti Aero Club Cessna 152 was helped by several rescuers, including Wainuiomata man Jack Peke, who was stunned when he saw the two aircraft collide.
‘‘We went straight there and we just happened to be the first people on the scene. We pulled the plane in half and dropped it over and pulled the guy out.''
