Wrong decision blamed for crash

The pilot and his passenger were injured when their microlight plane crashed after take-off late yesterday morning. Photo / Christine Cornege

Two men are lucky to be alive after the microlight they were flying stalled mid-air and hurtled to the ground moments after take-off.

A senior air instructor blamed the crash on "a wrong decision".

The 31-year-old Taupiri pilot and his 18-year-old passenger from Hamilton, were taken to Waikato Hospital after their plane nose-dived into the ground from about 60m.

Jan Reekers, who is the Waikato Microlight Club's chief flying instructor, was working near the airstrip south of Hamilton when he heard the aircraft's engine cut out just before midday yesterday.

He said microlights could usually be glided back to the ground in the case of engine failure but the men did not have enough air speed.

He was first on the scene and found the pilot had freed himself from the aircraft and was walking around holding his back.

The pilot's 18-year-old passenger was trapped in the cockpit.

"He was stuck and we couldn't move him and he kept saying he couldn't feel his legs, we just told him to stay awake and that the ambulance and Fire Service were on their way."

"It was bad but it could have been a lot worse, they were very, very lucky."

Mr Reekers and the pilot began dismantling the aircraft but needed the help of Fire Service electric cutting equipment to free the man about 40 minutes later.

Both men were taken to Waikato Hospital.

Mr Reekers said the pilot belonged to the 60-member Waikato Microlight Club and despite flying for only 18 months had been put through "rigorous" training.

He said the pair were near the end of the 800m air strip when they tried to take off.

They should have taken off about 300m down the runway but ascended steeply near the end of it, causing the engine to cut out at about 60m in the air.

"They should have been airborne a lot earlier than they were but he made a wrong decision."

"The motor would have sucked up air and the motor stopped. There was nothing wrong with the motor or the microlight itself. Well, there wasn't when they took off."

Waikato police communications manager Andrew McAlley said the Civil Aviation Authority would investigate the accident.