Forum Views ()
Forum Replies ()
Read more with google mobile :
New Zealand tourist plane crash dead identified
Yahoo!
My Yahoo!
Mail
More Yahoo! Services
Account Options
New User? Sign Up
Sign In
Help
Yahoo! Search
web search
Home
Singapore
Asia Pacific
World
Business
Entertainment
Sports
Technology
Australia
China
India
Indonesia
Japan
Malaysia
Philippines
Thailand
Vietnam
New Zealand tourist plane crash dead identified
AFP - Sunday, September 5
Send
IM Story
Print
WELLINGTON (AFP) - – New Zealand police Sunday named nine people, including four foreigners, killed in a skydiving plane crash, as investigators said it could be over a year before the cause of the accident was known.
In the nation's worst air accident in 17 years, the aircraft crashed and burst into flames shortly after takeoff on Saturday at an airstrip near the Fox Glacier tourist spot on the rugged west coast of New Zealand's South Island. There were no survivors.
The Fletcher FU24 turbine-powered plane, operated by tourism company Skydive New Zealand, was carrying a pilot, four skydive instructors and four tourists.
Police named the tourists as Patrick Byrne, 26, from County Wexford, Ireland; Glen Bourke, 18, from Melbourne, Australia; Annita Kirsten, 23, from Germany; and Brad Coker, 24, from Farnborough in the United Kingdom.
The New Zealanders who died were pilot Chaminda Senadhira, 33, and skydiving instructors Adam Bennett, 47, Michael Suter, 32, Christopher McDonald, 62, and Rodney Miller, 55, from Greymouth.
Coroner Richard McElrea said the bodies could not be taken to Christchurch, the nearest major city, because it remained in a state of emergency after a 7.0 magnitude earthquake Saturday. Instead, they will be flown to Auckland.
"There will be matters of identification which may involve dentistry," he said.
Transport Accident Investigation Commission (TAIC) staff said Sunday they were unable to fly to the crash due to bad weather but hoped to sift through the wreckage Monday after driving to the airstrip.
Police said the plane crashed at the end of the runway then burst into flames. Witnesses said it was briefly airborne before crashing.
Locals described conditions on Saturday as apparently perfect for skydiving near the glacier, a central attraction in the UNESCO-designated World Heritage area.
The head of the TAIC team, Ian McClelland, refused to speculate on the cause of the crash and said a report on the incident may not be ready for between nine and 15 months.
McClelland said the light aircraft did not have a "black box" flight recorder or voice recorder.
"But given the availability of the other evidence that is likely to be forthcoming, we are pretty confident we can identify most if not all of the contributing factors," he said.
The disaster was the worst air tragedy in New Zealand since nine people died in a plane crash in October 1993 at nearby Franz Josef Glacier.
The following year, seven people died when a sightseeing helicopter crashed near Fox Glacier, and in 2003 a chartered Piper Navajo Chieftain crashed on landing near Christchurch in 2003, killing eight people.
The west coast of New Zealand's South Island attracts thousands of tourists annually, brought to the area by the stunning mountain scenery and fjords.
Travellers, many of them from abroad, support a burgeoning tourism industry catering for a range of interests, including high-adrenaline sports and trekking.
Recommend
Send
IM Story
Print
Related Articles
N.Zealand braces for more destruction after quake AFP - 16 minutes ago
Gales, aftershocks shake quake hit New Zealand city Reuters - 1 hour 16 minutes ago
Abbott makes plea in Australia political impasse AFP - 2 hours 1 minute ago
Typhoon delays US-S.Korea naval exercise AFP - 2 hours 11 minutes ago
Thousands of Japanese schools serving whale meat AFP - 2 hours 26 minutes ago
News Search
Top Stories
A month on, Chile miners face uncertain rescue date
Sharapova, Federer battle on in US tennis Open
EU deal to curb speculative trading close: commissioner
EU decision on support for banks due November: commissioner
Afghans crowd scandal-hit bank to withdraw savings
More Top Stories »
ADVERTISEMENT
Most Popular
Most Viewed
Most Recommended
Zeta-Jones 'furious' at late cancer diagnosis for Douglas
BP spill costs hit 8 bln dlrs as crews unearth clues
Afghans crowd scandal-hit bank to withdraw savings
Israeli researchers develop promising new HIV treatment
'Prostitute' Carla Bruni deserves death: Iran media
More Most Viewed »
Earth's upper atmosphere shrinking, scientists say
Tiger's ex breaks her silence on sex scandal
Most US students think Beethoven is a dog
Unchecked migration would see Singapore swell, Haiti halve
More Most Recommended »
Elsewhere on Yahoo!
Financial news on Yahoo! Finance
Stars and latest movies
Best travel destinations
More on Yahoo! News
Home
Singapore
Asia Pacific
World
Business
Entertainment
Sports
Technology
Subscribe to our news feeds
Top StoriesMy Yahoo!RSS
» More news feeds | What are news feeds?
Also on Yahoo!
Answers
Groups
Mail
Messenger
Mobile
Travel
Finance
Movies
Sports
Games
» All Yahoo! Services
Site Highlights
Singapore
Full Coverage
Most Popular
Asia Entertainment
Photos
World Cup 2010
Copyright © 2010 Yahoo! Southeast Asia Pte. Ltd. (Co. Reg. No. 199700735D). All Rights Reserved.
Terms of Service |
Privacy Policy |
Community |
Intellectual Property Rights Policy |
Help
Other News on Sunday, 5 September 2010 France protests against security crackdown
Texas probing Google over search results
EU deal to curb speculative trading close: commissioner
Protestors in Ireland pelt Blair at book signing
Blair pelted with eggs at Dublin book signing
|
Pakistan try to focus after police grill trio
EU decision on support for banks due November: commissioner
Most Greeks want government reshuffle amid crisis
|
Earl socks Canada's Nova Scotia, weakens to tropical storm
Hurricane Earl makes landfall in Canada
Muslims take to Minn. State Fair to repair image
Amnesty calls for India Maoists to free police
Japan beat Paraguay to avenge World Cup defeat
Craigslist.com blocks access to adult services ads
|
Scorsese film defends anti-communist informer Kazan
India's Tata Steel may seek $5.4-bln loan: report
Afghans crowd scandal-hit bank to withdraw savings
India clears plane order for low-cost carriers
FACTBOX-Key political risks to watch in New Zealand
Vietnam arrests 4 more executives of shipbuilder
U.S. comedian Robert Schimmel dies after car accident
|
Taliban death threats hang over Afghan elections
Gales, aftershocks shake quake hit New Zealand city
|
Berlusconi backs down on key measure
US-TECH Summary
US likely to keep troops in Iraq after 2011
Suicide bomber kills five in southern Russia
|
'Relief' as Wilders-backed Dutch coalition fails
Sharapova, Federer battle on in US tennis Open
Craigslist.com blocks access to adult services ads
Gaza rocket fire draws Israeli air strikes
Thousands protest French clampdown against Roma
|
Craigslist 'censors' adult services listings in US
Torrential rains kill 18 in Guatemala
|
Six killed in Darfur camp shootout
Over one million join Apple's music social network Ping
Afghans continue pulling money from troubled bank
Belgium back in crisis as mediator quits
|
Possible talks with Afghan insurgents draw closer
Craiglist Blocks U.S. Access To Controversial Adult Ads
Two die in mid-air light aircraft collision in UK
|
Gales, aftershocks shake quake hit New Zealand city
Abbott makes plea in Australia political impasse
Earl loses tropical storm status after soaking Canada
Typhoon delays US-S.Korea naval exercise
For US Muslims, a 9/11 anniversary like no other
Thousands of Japanese schools serving whale meat
JetBlue: Flight attendant's big exit was for good
Cholera outbreak 'covered up' in China
Thai villagers voice health fears over pollution
Deneuve, Depardieu at Venice filmfest
Indonesian fashion scores Ramadan hit
US-ENTERTAINMENT Summary
New Zealand tourist plane crash dead identified
U.S. comedian Robert Schimmel dies after car accident
Builders race to finish first S.Korea F1 track
N.Zealand braces for more destruction after quake
Booming China auto industry faces over-capacity
iPhone 4 sales in S.Korea start this week
Suzuki to build new auto plant in India
Twelve killed in suicide assault on Iraq army base
ETA declares ceasefire in struggle with Spain
Basque separatists ETA halting armed attacks
|
Mideast talks to resume in Egyptian Red Sea resort
Five killed, scores hurt in Dagestan suicide bombing
Bangladesh issues red alert over spread of anthrax
|
A month on, Chile miners face uncertain rescue date
Basque separatists ETA declare ceasefire: BBC
Twelve killed in suicide assault on Iraq army base
|
Suicide attack kills 12 at Baghdad army complex
Israel's Barak to make 24-hour visit to Russia
Taliban vow to disrupt Afghanistan election
|
New Farmlands Driving Out Forests Causes Climate Change Study Says
Troubled Afghan bank faces further day of queues
Philippine police chief takes blame for bus hijack
|
NATO service member killed in Afghan fighting
Mideast talks to resume in Egyptian Red Sea resort
|
Moldova holds referendum on presidential vote
|
Fresh 'fixing' claims cloud Pakistan-England match
Nepal's parliament again fails to elect new PM
Afghan governor says kidnapped Japan journalist freed
Philippines needs more time for deadly bus hijack probe
Philippine police chief takes blame for bus hijack
Bangladesh dams to reclaim 600 square kms of land
Floodwaters sweep towards another Pakistani town
Three Abu Sayyaf militants killed in Philippines: police
Greece at new risk of being pushed off euro
Bodies of missing Tenn. mom, Jo Ann Bain, and daughter found
Female Breasts Are Bigger Than Ever
AMD Trinity Accelerated Processing Units Now in Volume Production
The Avengers (2012 film), made the second biggest opening- and single-day gross of all-time
AMD to Start Production of piledriver
Ivy Bridge Quad-Core, Four-Thread Desktop CPUs
Islamists Protest Lady Gaga's Concert in Indonesia
Japan Successfully Broadcasts an 8K Signal Over the Air
ECB boosts loans to 1 trillion Euro to stop credit crunch
Egypt : Mohammed Morsi won with 52 percent
What do you call 100,000 Frenchmen with their hands up
AMD Launches AMD Embedded R-Series APU Platform
Fed Should not Ignore Emerging Market Crisis
Fed casts shadow over India, emerging markets
Why are Chinese tourists so rude? A few insights