Plane hit by wind gusts

The pilot of a Cessna 185 which crashed yesterday near Ohakune has said the plane was hit by gusts of wind during landing at a private airstrip. The 56-year-old pilot, from Taupo, was ferrying three men on a day trip to hunt pigs and deer.

The pilot, who has been flying since 1969 and owned the aircraft, estimated he was travelling at 70km/h when the plane was caught by wind gusts.