Plane clipped fence before flipping on to South Auckland road, crash report shows

A microlight suffered engine problems before clipping a fence and landing upside down on a road in Pukekohe. Photo / Auckland Operational Support

A microlight that crashed on a Pukekohe road at the weekend suffered engine problems and clipped a fence before flipping as the pilot made an emergency landing.

The wheels of the custom-built plane hit the fence, which caused the plane to flip and crash on Runciman Rd at 2pm on Sunday.

New details around the cause of the crash, which blocked one side of the road for several hours, have emerged on the Auckland Fire Brigade's operational support Facebook page.

The pilot walked away from the plane with moderate injuries and was treated at Middlemore Hospital.

Fuel started leaking from the wreckage and the closure of one lane caused major traffic problems in the area as foam was sprayed to clean the road.

A Civil Aviation Authority spokesperson said it was still reviewing witness reports and speaking with the pilot. The pilot had 90 days to submit a formal report about the event to the authority.