Victims of mid-air plane crash named (+photos)

The plane crashed in a residential area. Photo / Mark Mitchell

A pilot who flew to save lives was one of three men who died yesterday in a mid-air collision above Paraparaumu Airport.

Palmerston North pilot Dave Fielding, 30, and student pilot James David Taylor, 19 of Waikanae were killed instantly when their helicopter and a Cessna light aircraft smashed into each other.

Mr Feilding was taking Mr Taylor on the final qualifying exam for his private pilot's licence at the time of the collision.

The Cessna pilot was pulled from the wreckage of his plane with critical injuries, and died several hours later in Wellington Hospital.

Police today named him as Bevan Andrew Hookway, 17, of Raumati South, near Paraparaumu. Mr Hookway was a senior student at Kapiti College.

Specialist investigators including the police Disaster Victim Identification team worked until nearly 3am today extricating the bodies of the three men.

Kapiti Mana Area Police Commander and head of the police operation, Inspector John Spence, said the recovery process was challenging.

"This was a horrific crash which has claimed the lives of three young men," Mr Spence said.

"Our priority is working with their families, interviewing witnesses to the crash, and working with other agencies to retrieve aircraft parts and wreckage to assist investigations."

Post mortems of the men were being held in Wellington today.

"Our thoughts are with the families and friends of all those involved in this dreadful accident," Mr Spence said.

"Police, Victim Support and other agencies are working closely with the families and those who knew these fine young men."

Wreckage from both aircraft fell on to busy streets, shops and houses, and officials of the emergency services were amazed that no one on the ground was injured.

Placemakers' hardware building was closed again today and would stay secured until experts had removed wreckage.

Mr Spence said said assistance was also being offered to witnesses, residents who had to flee their homes as wreckage tumbled from the sky, and to Placemakers stuff and customers.

Counselling services were also in place at Kapiti College where Mr Hookway was a senior student undertaking correspondence studies in Aviation. He was flying through the Kapiti Aero Club when he crashed.