The body of Phillip Gordon Pullar (62) of Pukerau, near Gore, was recovered about midday today from the wreckage of a Cessna 172 he was piloting on the Old Man Range.
A search and rescue operation was launched after authorities received an emergency beacon alert from a private light aircraft about 5.30pm yesterday.
Police today confirmed that the body of a man was found after the aircraft was located about 4am.
The Civil Aviation Authority is to investigate the circumstances of the crash.
The aircraft was found on the Old Man Range, near Alexandra, by search and rescue volunteers.
The Cessna 172, with just the pilot on board, was believed to have been travelling between Bannockburn and Gore.
Geoff Lunt, of the Rescue Coordination Centre, said the Queenstown-based helicopter crew identified the area by the distress beacon signal yesterday but due to heavy, low cloud could not get close.
Ground crews went in with thermal imaging equipment and a portable device to home in on the beacon signal.
Mr Lunt could not give any information on the pilot or nature of the flight.
A police spokeswoman earlier this morning said low cloud had hampered aerial work over the remote crash site.
Helicopters had been been stood down this morning and recovery efforts and investigations at the crash site were confined to four-wheel drive and foot access.
However, the weather cleared about 10am.
A helicopter was redeployed when conditions improved and it flew back to Pioneer Park shortly after 12pm to unload equipment and personnel.
The pilot's body was successfully recovered about noon.
A shift change in search and rescue (SAR) personnel happened between 7.30am and 8am, with some flown back by a Wanaka-based Aspiring Helicopters helicopter which landed in Alexandra's Pioneer Park at 8.30am.
The spokeswomen said fresh SAR headed back to the crash scene at 9.40am.
Civil Aviation Authority investigators are scheduled to arrive today and investigations at the scene were expected to continue for several days.
- additional reporting Jared Morgan and RNZ
