KEY POINTS:
An experienced glider pilot competing in a national championship died yesterday after crashing into a concrete fence post in the Waikato.
The death of Canadian professor Trevor Atkins, 51, comes two months after a glider crash north of Wanaka that left 59-year-old German Herbert Weiss dead during the World Gliding Championships.
The latest fatal crash happened about 6.30pm on a farm in Waharoa, 7km northeast of Matamata.
Sergeant Graham McGurk said a farmer found Dr Atkin's body at about 6pm last night.
He said Dr Atkins was experienced, with 1000 flying hours behind him.
New Zealand National Gliding Championships director Roy Edwards told the Herald that the man had launched his unpowered glider from Matamata Airfield on State Highway 27 about 1.30pm.
Mr Edwards said Dr Atkins had made radio contact about 6pm but lost contact soon afterwards.
He said it was too early to tell what went wrong but Civil Aviation Authority investigators would visit the crash site this morning.
The weather was thought to be usual "competition conditions", he said.
The competition, which started last Tuesday and is to finish on Thursday, will not run today out of respect for Dr Atkins.
"Obviously the other competitors are saddened by the event and they need time to collect their thoughts and pay their respects," Mr Edwards said.
Dr Atkins had been "doing okay" in the competition.
The wife of Dr Atkins is on board a NIWA research vessel in the Ross Sea. She is looking at how she can get home.
Earlier police had reported that Dr Atkins was employed by the University of Waikato but this has since been found to be incorrect.
