Whanganui CEO Phillip Bedford feels for Auckland flying school

The two young Ardmore pilots who died are Zakir Pakar (inset) and Peter Callagher. Photo / supplied

The man who heads Whanganui's pilot academy sends his thoughts, prayers and condolences to those affected by the death of two flying instructors in the Kaimanawa Range.

New Zealand International Commercial Pilot Academy CEO Phillip Bedford has spent 35 years in aviation, and said any accident was hard to take.

"I can tell you that any time there's an accident at all, people are rightly very, very upset about that."

The two experienced flying instructors from Auckland's Ardmore Flying School set off from Palmerston North Airport to fly to Auckland via Taupō on Saturday night. Radio contact with them was lost at 9pm, and they were reported missing at 10pm.

The next morning the wreckage of the plane and two bodies were found in steep terrain in the Kaimanawa Forest Park south of Taupō.

The light aircraft was a Diamond DA42 Twin Star. Bedford said the Whanganui school has one of those, but it may be configured differently.

He's waiting to hear more about the accident.

"We just don't know what happened, and the people haven't been named yet," he said.

It was the first fatal crash for the Auckland school, and the Transport Accident Investigation Commission is investigating.