Crash victim NZ's 'most skilful pilot'

Emergency services at the crash site in Awanui. Photo / Herald on Sunday

A man who died in a gyrocopter crash in Northland yesterday was "easily the most skilful pilot in New Zealand", a fellow gyrocopter enthusiast says.

Grant Simpson, 50, died when the aircraft crashed at Awanui, north of Kaitaia, about 11am.

His passenger, 35-year-old Shane Hunt, was also seriously injured in the crash and was taken to Whangarei Hospital, where he is in a stable condition in intensive care.

Autogyro Association committee member Brett Oswald said Mr Simpson was a "great guy" and an extremely skilled gyrocopter pilot."He could just make a gyro do anything he wanted to. Usually at fly-ins he would be the person who would be asked to put on a display to show what gyros are capable of doing.

"He would have been, you'd have to say, the best pilot, easily the most skilful pilot, in New Zealand."

Mr Oswald said the particular gyrocopter Mr Simpson was flying was an "extremely safe machine which actually looks after the pilot".

"The question about what's actually happened with Grant, I have absolutely no idea."

Gyrocopters use an unpowered rotor to develop lift and an engine powered propeller to provide thrust and fly.

They were invented in the early 1920s.

- NZPA