Missing plane found crashed in Coromandel

The plane's radar signal stopped over the Coromandel Forest Park. Photograph / 123RF

Rescuers have found a missing plane that disappeared from radar over the Coromandel and crashed yesterday.

Rescue operation co-ordinators, Maritime NZ, were unable to confirm the condition of the pilot.

The pilot of the two-seater aircraft took off from Whitianga Airport in the Coromandel yesterday morning bound for Ardmore Airport near Manurewa in Auckland.

But bad weather conditions in Manurewa forced the pilot to turn around and head back to the Coromandel.

The plane then disappeared from satellite and radar over the Coromandel Forest Park in rugged bushland not far from the town of Coromandel and was reported missing to rescue teams at Maritime NZ at 4.25pm, spokeswoman Stephanie Morison said.

A search team with six members had found the plane in the area where it was last reported on radar.

Rescue teams had been unable to search from the air because of bad weather yesterday evening, Morison said.