Russian authorities insist that pilot error was behind the plane crash that killed Polish President Lech Kaczynski.

Thousands of Poles lined the streets of Warsaw as the coffin of President Lech Kaczynski was taken to the presidential palace after his death alongside at least 95 others in a plane crash in Russia.

Poland is confronting the worst political disaster since WWII after its president, his wife and dozens of top officials were killed in a plane crash.

Acting Prime Minister Bill English has joined the list of international leaders offering condolences to Poland.

With his body strapped into a helicopter and his mate racing his Subaru rally car on the asphalt below, Stace Hopper made his flight to eternity.

High winds caught Stacey Hopper's plane as it took off, causing it to dip and clip the van that had dropped him at the airstrip, a good friend says.

Multimillion dollar property empire heir Stacey Hopper was killed instantly when the family aircraft he was piloting crashed into an occupied van.

A member of a prominent Far North family has been killed after his plane crashed in a field near Whangarei yesterday.

A TV news helicopter pilot steered his crippled, out-of-control aircraft away from a busy highway before crashing.

The final report into the crash British Airways flight BA038 has been published.

Passengers on a flight from Sydney to Auckland faced anxious moments as the pilot warned them to be prepared for an emergency landing.

An Air NZ flight from Tokyo with 296 passengers on board had to make an emergency stop on the runway after pilots noticed a warning light.

The elite air force aerobatics team the Red Checkers has been grounded in the wake of yesterday's fatal plane crash.