A "stubby-type" screwdriver found in the wreckage of plane which crashed in Feilding last month, killing two men, may have caused the crash, investigators say.
Queensland chiropractor Brett Ireland, 50, and Palmerston North doctor Ralph Saxe, 51, died when the small plane they were in crashed in Timona Park, about 35 minutes after taking off from the Taonui Aerodrome near Feilding on January 23.
Dr Saxe co-owned the Aerostar Yak 52TW; aircraft of its type are commonly used for aerobatics.
The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) is investigating the crash and today said it was "following a line of inquiry that points toward a mechanical issue".
"Investigators found a stubby-type screwdriver amongst the wreckage, which may have rendered the aircraft unflyable," the CAA said.