Police will today recover the bodies of two Mexican citizens killed in an air crash in the Craigieburn mountain range in Canterbury yesterday.
The Piper Cherokee was found in a valley southwest of the Cass Saddle, near Lake Coleridge, said John Dickson of Rescue Coordination Centre New Zealand.
The pilot was training with the Canterbury Aero Club and was preparing to sit part of a commercial licence test today.
Mr Dickson said the plane was located slightly outside the initial search area.
It appeared the pilot had made a left turn off the direct line between where he was last located and Christchurch. The flight was from Hokitika to Christchurch.
"For some reason he seems to have taken a left turn and headed up over that valley.
"We do know he was sitting his commercial pilot's cross country exam and yesterday was his final flight before doing that," he said.
The plane was reported missing shortly after 1pm and its last position was about 16km northwest of Lake Coleridge.
Police said the pilot and passenger, also a pilot, will be named after relatives are informed.
The plane was found by a Canterbury Aero Club fixed wing aircraft that was helping with the search.
The Civil Aviation Authority is investigating the crash. Flying conditions in the area were described as perfect.
