Pilot wary about flying family

The surgeon killed with his two sons in a light plane crash in Manawatu made a point of never flying his whole family together, says a close friend.

Guy Lawton, aged 44, had just left his own farewell party at Aorangi Hospital in Palmerston North when his plane crashed near Taonui airfield, 5km southeast of Feilding, at 8.45pm on Tuesday night.

His sons Matthew, 7, and Samuel, 5, also died.

Mr Lawton, a top oral and maxillofacial surgeon, was about to move his family to New Plymouth to take up a job at Taranaki Base Hospital.

He had been farewelled at Aorangi by staff before leaving to fly home to Paraparaumu on the Kapiti Coast.

His wife, Pam, was to drive the couple's younger son and newborn daughter home.

Aorangi spokesman Rodney Inteman said Mr Lawton flew himself all over the country in his specialist work as a surgeon, but never flew the whole family together.

"He was very conscious of what could happen. Unfortunately the worst scenario has happened."

Mr Inteman had flown with Mr Lawton to the South Island airshow Wings Over Wanaka.

"As a pilot, he was a stickler for getting things right and making sure that everything was up to speed.

"The man certainly knew the precautions when it came to flying.

"He was totally self-sufficient and could go anywhere."

Four months ago, Mr Lawton and a number of other pilots flew to Australia and toured the country.

"The whole hospital is absolutely devastated," Mr Inteman said.

The Lawtons had already bought a house in New Plymouth, next door to TVNZ weatherman Jim Hickey, also a keen pilot who flies to Auckland for his job.

The family had planned to move over Christmas.

Mr Lawton was a lieutenant-colonel in the Army until he left last year. He had joined the Territorials in 1980 and later moved into the regular force.

Former Army colleagues said Mr Lawton's death was a huge loss.

"He was about to take up a job at a hospital that is crying out for oral surgeons," said Army dentist Major Tiffany Logan.

"He would have been working with cancer patients, removing growths out of people's faces, reconstructing jaws; work that is incredibly important."

Major Logan had known Mr Lawton for about 14 years and they had worked together at Linton Army base near Palmerston North.

She described Mr Lawton as "patient and lots of fun", with interests in skiing, cycling and golf.

"When we were posted to Burnham in Christchurch, he would fly down and do an oral surgery week with us," Major Logan said.

Feilding 14-year-old Chelsea Plaisted saw the plane turn back towards the airfield as though its pilot knew something was wrong.

She said the aircraft went "real low" and the pilot seemed to be trying to pull up. The plane "went up a bit, did a flip, then it went round and round - just kept on spinning.

"Then it nosed down into the ground."

Senior Sergeant Peter Thurston said family were devastated.

"It's such a tragic thing, especially so close to Christmas."

The plane was a 1978 Piper Navajo. Mr Lawton had owned it for about two months

The Herald found an online advertisement offering the aircraft for sale 16 months ago.

It was said at that time to have spent a low 1710 hours in the air and to be in "absolutely pristine condition" with "no expense spared refurbishing and overhauling this extremely low time aircraft".

The advertisement listed 15 types of radar, radio and other avionic gear fitted to the plane.

- NZPA, staff reporter