Tourists hurt when emergency landing goes wrong

The Cessna's owner says it is a write-off after coming to grief during an emergency landing on a Port Vila golf course. Photo / Angela Evans

The pilot of a plane that crashed while landing in Vanuatu is being praised for his "exceptional" skill, but has been stood down while the incident is investigated.

The Airtaxi-Vanuatu Cessna 207, carrying five passengers and two pilots, was badly damaged as it made an emergency landing on a golf course at the Le Lagon Resort in Port Vila about 6pm (NZT) on Monday.

The charter plane, carrying two New Zealand couples and an Australian man, was returning to Port Vila from Tanna Island, where the tourists had been to see the Yasur Volcano.

The plane's expat Kiwi owner, Simon Turner, said the drama began in the air when the Swiss pilot tried to land.

"The aircraft arrived at Port Vila and the weather turned particularly nasty. It was raining and the pilot couldn't see the runway," Mr Turner told the Herald.

"He circled around a little bit, waiting for the weather to clear - but it didn't. Instead of running out of fuel in the air, he chose to make a precautionary landing on the golf course."

Mr Turner said it was a planned landing - not a forced landing.

"Unfortunately, the plane clipped a tee mount. That's what ended up damaging the aircraft. Visibility was so low that he didn't see the tee mount, otherwise it would have been a perfect precautionary landing and it would have been up flying again today."

Two passengers were taken to hospital in Port Vila, including a New Zealand man in his late 20s with a fractured vertebra. He was on the flight with his partner and was being flown back to New Zealand yesterday for further medical treatment.

A Kiwi couple in their 50s were also on board and it is understood the co-pilot was also a New Zealand national.

"The pilot did an exceptional job in getting it down. Running out of fuel, that's not really an alternative. That's the nature of a precautionary landing - you make them when you need to," said Mr Turner.

"The pilot has been stood down pending the investigation. Someone from the Civil Aviation Authority is coming over tomorrow to investigate. It will probably take a couple of days, it's a pretty basic one."

Mr Turner said the plane was written off. The fuselage was not damaged, but the landing gear collapsed and the propeller and tail were badly bent.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade confirmed five of the seven people on board were New Zealand citizens. The High Commission in Vanuatu is providing consular assistance to the New Zealanders.

DO YOU KNOW THE KIWIS ON THIS FLIGHT?
Contact newsdesk@nzherald.co.nz