Captain appeared 'resigned' after Dash 8 crash

A passenger on the Dash 8 plane which crashed near Palmerston North five years ago was helping other survivors when he spotted a resigned-looking Captain Gary Sotheran in the cockpit window.

"He had a look on his face which I could only describe as resignation," said survivor Peter Roberts, during a depositions hearing in the Palmerston North District Court which will determine whether Mr Sotheran will stand trial on four charges of manslaughter and three of injuring.

Mr Sotheran captained Ansett flight 703 between Auckland and Palmerston North, which crashed into the eastern side of the Tararua Ranges on June 9, 1995.

The Crown says that after a landing gear malfunction, Mr Sotheran did not maintain the correct height of the plane as it was approaching the airport at Palmerston North, and that at the point of impact it was 1400ft too low.

The crash ripped the tail and a wing off the plane, killing flight attendant Karen Gallagher, aged 31, and passengers Jonathan Keall, 43, and David White, 37.

Another passenger, Reg Dixon, 47, suffered burns to 80 per cent of his body and died 12 days later.

Mr Roberts, a Taupo company director, told the court there was little turbulence on the flight and no warning of any problem.

Despite suffering concussion, a lacerated skull and a fractured vertebra, he helped a little girl from the wreck and escorted a family into a hollow in the farmland to escape the biting wind.

Then he returned to the wreck and saw Mr Dixon.

"He was on his hands and knees moaning. He had no clothes on the back of his body."

He also remembered seeing the badly injured Mr Dixon attempting to help his wife from the plane.

Constable Debbie Wilson, of the Palmerston North police, who arrived at the crash site at 10.18 am, said she found Mr Dixon lying face down about 20m from the fuselage, covered with "parts of the plane."

"The side of his face was charcoal black and his face was bloody ... his back was burned in patches," she said, reading from a written statement.

Constable Wilson could not get any blankets from the fuselage so she covered Mr Dixon with pieces of lining from the plane.

She said he was complaining about the pain and she joked with him to make him feel better. She later poured saline solution on his face and helped paramedics put him on the stretcher.

Another rescuer, Pahiatua Constable Anthony Shearman, arrived at the scene on a four-wheel-drive motorbike borrowed from the farmer. He said the weather was freezing, windy and foggy, and he took off his police jersey and jacket to give to survivors.

The first person he found was Mr Dixon.

"He was mumbling away and I told him help was on its way."

The hearing is due to continue until tomorrow.