Pilot killed in microlight crash named

Police have named the microlight pilot who died after his craft nose-dived into the ground in the Buller Gorge yesterday.

Darrell Peter Williams, 60, was flying an Italian-made Sky Arrow to a "fly-in" meet in Murchison.

His microlight crashed on a farm known as White Cliffs, between Berlins and Inangahua, about 11am.

Mr Williams, who lived at Carters Beach, Westport, was described by friend and witness Nigel Cleine as a very experienced flier who instructed others.

It was not yet known why the former commercial pilot had crashed, but the weather was fine at the time.

Mr Cleine, who was following his friend, said he did not see the plane go down, but "we were there two minutes later".

"You feel a bit helpless, a bit sick, especially as you have to fly back," he told The Press.

Inangahua Fire Service chief officer Taffy Tawhara, among the first on the scene, said he had heard the pilot had radioed that he was having difficulty and was trying to get to an airstrip in the gorge.

Senior Sergeant Geoff Scott of Westport police said witnesses reported the plane "basically nose-dived to the ground".

The Civil Aviation Authority is investigating the crash.

- NZPA