NZ Post plane explodes in fireball, kills two

A New Zealand Post mail plane exploded over south Taranaki last night in a fireball, killing two crew members.

Farmers heard a huge bang then felt the ground shudder and smelled aviation fuel as the Metroliner aircraft en route from Auckland to Blenheim went down.

Emergency crews worked in heavy rain and wind to try to locate the courier aircraft in hill country 7km east of Stratford.

The New Plymouth fire service found the fuselage about 11.30pm.

Residents said some of the falling wreckage had hit a farmhouse.

Callers flooded 111 lines shortly after 10.20pm after hearing an explosion at the time as the Maritime Safety Authority reported a plane had disappeared off the Christchurch air traffic control radar.

NZ Post confirmed that the plane was one of its eight AirPost aircraft specially equipped to carry mail around the country.

Spokesman Ian Long said it was carrying a pilot and co-pilot but no other passengers. NZ Post would today begin investigating how the tragedy occurred and whether any of the mail was recoverable.

NZ Post expressed its condolences to the families of the crew.

After the crash police had appealed for residents to stay home to speed up the rescue efforts as farmers flooded into lanes and roads to look for the wreckage, which was spread over a considerable area.

Resident Craig Hicks had just got into bed on his parents' farm west of Toko when he heard "a hell of a noise".

"It was a quick, whining, sizzling noise as it shot through. I ran out and it was in the distance.

"I saw a whole lot of little explosions. As it went out across the farmland, the first bit of light was almost like a flare, crawling out of the sky. It was quite bright, and it fell slowly to the ground.

"It sounded like rapid fire gunshots going off in the distance. Then there was another bright light, but it wasn't falling, but then another piece fell, and the third bit was just sitting like a glowing light in the sky. And then it faded to black through the rain and the tree tops.

"It was a good 30 to 40 seconds of action before it faded."

Mr Hicks, 41, jumped into his car and headed towards Toko.

"There were cardboard boxes and plastic sheeting all around the district. There was this strong smell as I drove down the road, oil and fuel maybe."