No-one was hurt when a Southern Alps Air Ltd Cessna 185 with three people aboard overturned while landing in the Mount Aspiring National Park late last week, Civil Aviation Authority officials said.
The single-engine aircraft received substantial damage in the accident, which occurred at 10.30am on Friday, CAA spokesman Bill Sommer said.
It is believed the plane hit snow and water on the runway.
The aircraft are used for sightseeing flights in the Mount Aspiring park.
The damaged plane was recovered from the accident site and lifted by helicopter from Heliworks Queenstown Helicopters to the Makarora area on Saturday morning.
It is understood the Cessna's propeller and undercarriage were damaged.
Further details were not immediately available from aircraft company officials.
Southern Alps Air flies out of Wanaka and Makarora.
Mr Sommer said the CAA had approved the recovery of the aircraft and the agency would not be conducting an on-site investigation.
A full report would be sent to the CAA by the pilot of the aircraft, and this would be the first step in determining the cause of the accident.
It was not known when the investigation would be completed.
