Gyrocopter crash victims named

Police have named the two men killed when their gyrocopter ploughed into a Taranaki paddock yesterday.

They were Neville Ronald Adlam, 70, of New Plymouth, and Stephen John Chubb, 51, of Okaiawa, south Taranaki.

The gyrocopter crashed about 500 metres from State Highway 3 on Ohangai Rd, Normanby, 72km southeast of New Plymouth at 1.40pm , Police spokeswoman Kim Perks said.

Mr Chubb was an instructor and was giving tuition to Mr Adlam at the time, she said.

The pair had taken off and landed at the nearby aero club a number of times during the afternoon before the crash.

The men's bodies have been removed from scene and post mortems would be performed today, she said.

A team from the Civil Aviation Authority was still at the crash site and expected to remove the wreckage later today for further examination.

Hawera police would like to hear from anyone who saw the crash or saw anything in the moments leading up to it.

- NZPA