KEY POINTS:
pilot who crashed his microlight, killing himself and a Dutch tourist, was "extremely capable" and how it happened remains unclear.
Alex Charles, 44, was taking a client, the 36-year-old tourist, on a scenic flight on Monday afternoon when something went wrong. Staff at Mr Charles' firm, Tasman Sky Adventures, were unable to reach him by radio after he failed to return to base at Motueka as scheduled.
A search found a wing of the aircraft late on Monday. The rest of the wreckage and the bodies of the two men were found in rugged terrain in the Abel Tasman National Park yesterday.
Tasman Sky Adventures co-owner Helen Leighton said that Mr Charles was a "top person", as well as being a skilled pilot.
She said it was possible the microlight had been caught in a "down-draught", but it was only speculation.
The tourist was apparently touring the country by motorcycle and decided to go for the trip in a microlight after seeing them circling in the sky.
Recreational Aircraft Association spokesman Stuart Parker said the rate of microlight deaths was declining.
While microlights were more vulnerable to the weather than heavier aircraft, they were also slower and better able to make emergency landings in limited areas such as paddocks.
