NZ Herald
  • Home
  • Latest news
  • Herald NOW
  • Video
  • New Zealand
  • Sport
  • World
  • Business
  • Entertainment
  • Podcasts
  • Quizzes
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Travel
  • Viva
  • Weather

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • New Zealand
    • All New Zealand
    • Crime
    • Politics
    • Education
    • Open Justice
    • Scam Update
  • Herald NOW
  • On The Up
  • World
    • All World
    • Australia
    • Asia
    • UK
    • United States
    • Middle East
    • Europe
    • Pacific
  • Business
    • All Business
    • MarketsSharesCurrencyCommoditiesStock TakesCrypto
    • Markets with Madison
    • Media Insider
    • Business analysis
    • Personal financeKiwiSaverInterest ratesTaxInvestment
    • EconomyInflationGDPOfficial cash rateEmployment
    • Small business
    • Business reportsMood of the BoardroomProject AucklandSustainable business and financeCapital markets reportAgribusiness reportInfrastructure reportDynamic business
    • Deloitte Top 200 Awards
    • CompaniesAged CareAgribusinessAirlinesBanking and financeConstructionEnergyFreight and logisticsHealthcareManufacturingMedia and MarketingRetailTelecommunicationsTourism
  • Opinion
    • All Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Editorials
    • Business analysis
    • Premium opinion
    • Letters to the editor
  • Politics
  • Sport
    • All Sport
    • OlympicsParalympics
    • RugbySuper RugbyNPCAll BlacksBlack FernsRugby sevensSchool rugby
    • CricketBlack CapsWhite Ferns
    • Racing
    • NetballSilver Ferns
    • LeagueWarriorsNRL
    • FootballWellington PhoenixAuckland FCAll WhitesFootball FernsEnglish Premier League
    • GolfNZ Open
    • MotorsportFormula 1
    • Boxing
    • UFC
    • BasketballNBABreakersTall BlacksTall Ferns
    • Tennis
    • Cycling
    • Athletics
    • SailingAmerica's CupSailGP
    • Rowing
  • Lifestyle
    • All Lifestyle
    • Viva - Food, fashion & beauty
    • Society Insider
    • Royals
    • Sex & relationships
    • Food & drinkRecipesRecipe collectionsRestaurant reviewsRestaurant bookings
    • Health & wellbeing
    • Fashion & beauty
    • Pets & animals
    • The Selection - Shop the trendsShop fashionShop beautyShop entertainmentShop giftsShop home & living
    • Milford's Investing Place
  • Entertainment
    • All Entertainment
    • TV
    • MoviesMovie reviews
    • MusicMusic reviews
    • BooksBook reviews
    • Culture
    • ReviewsBook reviewsMovie reviewsMusic reviewsRestaurant reviews
  • Travel
    • All Travel
    • News
    • New ZealandNorthlandAucklandWellingtonCanterburyOtago / QueenstownNelson-TasmanBest NZ beaches
    • International travelAustraliaPacific IslandsEuropeUKUSAAfricaAsia
    • Rail holidays
    • Cruise holidays
    • Ski holidays
    • Luxury travel
    • Adventure travel
  • Kāhu Māori news
  • Environment
    • All Environment
    • Our Green Future
  • Talanoa Pacific news
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Property Insider
    • Interest rates tracker
    • Residential property listings
    • Commercial property listings
  • Health
  • Technology
    • All Technology
    • AI
    • Social media
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
    • Opinion
    • Audio & podcasts
  • Weather forecasts
    • All Weather forecasts
    • Kaitaia
    • Whangārei
    • Dargaville
    • Auckland
    • Thames
    • Tauranga
    • Hamilton
    • Whakatāne
    • Rotorua
    • Tokoroa
    • Te Kuiti
    • Taumaranui
    • Taupō
    • Gisborne
    • New Plymouth
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Dannevirke
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Levin
    • Paraparaumu
    • Masterton
    • Wellington
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Blenheim
    • Westport
    • Reefton
    • Kaikōura
    • Greymouth
    • Hokitika
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
    • Wānaka
    • Oamaru
    • Queenstown
    • Dunedin
    • Gore
    • Invercargill
  • Meet the journalists
  • Promotions & competitions
  • OneRoof property listings
  • Driven car news

Puzzles & Quizzes

  • Puzzles
    • All Puzzles
    • Sudoku
    • Code Cracker
    • Crosswords
    • Cryptic crossword
    • Wordsearch
  • Quizzes
    • All Quizzes
    • Morning quiz
    • Afternoon quiz
    • Sports quiz

Regions

  • Northland
    • All Northland
    • Far North
    • Kaitaia
    • Kerikeri
    • Kaikohe
    • Bay of Islands
    • Whangarei
    • Dargaville
    • Kaipara
    • Mangawhai
  • Auckland
  • Waikato
    • All Waikato
    • Hamilton
    • Coromandel & Hauraki
    • Matamata & Piako
    • Cambridge
    • Te Awamutu
    • Tokoroa & South Waikato
    • Taupō & Tūrangi
  • Bay of Plenty
    • All Bay of Plenty
    • Katikati
    • Tauranga
    • Mount Maunganui
    • Pāpāmoa
    • Te Puke
    • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua
  • Hawke's Bay
    • All Hawke's Bay
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Havelock North
    • Central Hawke's Bay
    • Wairoa
  • Taranaki
    • All Taranaki
    • Stratford
    • New Plymouth
    • Hāwera
  • Manawatū - Whanganui
    • All Manawatū - Whanganui
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Manawatū
    • Tararua
    • Horowhenua
  • Wellington
    • All Wellington
    • Kapiti
    • Wairarapa
    • Upper Hutt
    • Lower Hutt
  • Nelson & Tasman
    • All Nelson & Tasman
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Tasman
  • Marlborough
  • West Coast
  • Canterbury
    • All Canterbury
    • Kaikōura
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
  • Otago
    • All Otago
    • Oamaru
    • Dunedin
    • Balclutha
    • Alexandra
    • Queenstown
    • Wanaka
  • Southland
    • All Southland
    • Invercargill
    • Gore
    • Stewart Island
  • Gisborne

Media

  • Video
    • All Video
    • NZ news video
    • Herald NOW
    • Business news video
    • Politics news video
    • Sport video
    • World news video
    • Lifestyle video
    • Entertainment video
    • Travel video
    • Markets with Madison
    • Kea Kids news
  • Podcasts
    • All Podcasts
    • The Front Page
    • On the Tiles
    • Ask me Anything
    • The Little Things
  • Cartoons
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / New Zealand

Wairarapa plane crash: 'Experienced, dedicated, hugely valued' Aerowork pilot dies

By Staff reporters
NZ Herald·
24 Apr, 2020 03:40 AM3 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

Police said a light aircraft crashed near Ruakiwi Rd, Kourarau Hill, Carterton. Photo / Google

Police said a light aircraft crashed near Ruakiwi Rd, Kourarau Hill, Carterton. Photo / Google

The Wairarapa community has been devastated by the death of a third pilot in 10 months.

A top-dressing pilot died on a farm in Kourarau Hill near Carterton this morning - emergency services were alerted around 7.30am.

MetService reported the weather this morning was good for flying, with clear skies and light winds recorded.

The plane the man crashed was a top-dressing plane, used for aerial application of fertilisers over farmland.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

He was found dead at the scene of the crash on Ruakiwi Rd.

Because he was spraying on the farm, he was deemed an essential worker.

The "experienced, dedicated, and hugely valued" pilot worked for Aerowork Aerial Spreading and operated out of Masterton's Hood Aerodrome.

In June last year, two pilots, Joshua Christensen and Craig McBride, died when their aircraft collided south of the aerodrome, on the southern side of the Waingawa River.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Skydive Wellington pilot Christensen, 20, and Wairarapa Aero Club member McBride were thought to have died on impact when their aircraft collided.

The death of the Aerowork pilot today would be a shock for the community, Carterton mayor Greg Lang said in a statement.

"It is a real blow for many in the flying and agricultural communities. My message to the community is to support each other," Lang said.

"These events are tragic at any time, but this death is made even harder to take with the community in lockdown.

Discover more

New Zealand

Water crisis: Aucklanders face compulsory restrictions next month

23 Apr 10:24 PM
New Zealand

Another death, five new Covid-19 cases today

24 Apr 01:58 AM
New Zealand

Raglan beach blaze: Camp fire cause of fire which swept across cliff face

23 Apr 11:33 PM
New Zealand|politics

$17m being paid back: Govt eyes legal action as businesses flout subsidy rules

24 Apr 05:48 AM

"The Carterton community is incredibly close, and it has been challenging for all of us not to go about our daily businesses and see familiar faces on the street.

"Today's news will be extremely hard to bear for all of those involved – my thoughts go out to all of them at this tremendously difficult time."

Fertiliser company Ravensdown owned Aerowork Aerial Spreading and confirmed earlier today it was one of their pilots who had died.

Out of respect for the man's family, they would not identify the man.

"The team is working closely with the emergency crews and have reached out to the family," they said in a statement.

"As a close-knit team, there are feelings of shock and sadness as we grapple with this terrible incident.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

"The pilot was an experienced, dedicated and hugely valued team member."

Police said the death would be referred to the Coroner and the Civil Aviation Authority would investigate the crash.

The Masterton aerodrome, which was the nearest MetService observation point to the crash, said a front had moved through the area before dawn.

A little rain fell before 5am, but satellite images showed clear skies and the sun getting above the cloud associated with the front.

The front moved away to the northeast of the region by the time of the crash, a MetService spokesman said.

Masterton mayor Lyn Patterson said the tight community of the Hood Aerodrome would be devastated by the death of the pilot.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

"Today's news will have brought up difficult memories of the loss of two other members of our aviation community last year," she said.

"I'm sure I speak for the whole community in passing on our deepest sympathies to the friends and family of those involved.

"I also want to thank the emergency services personnel involved in responding to this morning's event; you have all been working hard to keep our community safe and we appreciate everything you are doing."

Save

    Share this article

Latest from New Zealand

New Zealand

'Absolutely gutted': Dog lovers protest against leash changes

19 Jun 06:40 PM
New Zealand

New claims on top cop's psychometric test exemptions for police recruits

19 Jun 06:19 PM
Premium
New Zealand|crime

Alleged Auckland drug kingpin hiding in Mexico, police believe

19 Jun 06:04 PM

Jono and Ben brew up a tea-fuelled adventure in Sri Lanka

sponsored
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from New Zealand

'Absolutely gutted': Dog lovers protest against leash changes

'Absolutely gutted': Dog lovers protest against leash changes

19 Jun 06:40 PM

The board voted 4 to 2 to ban off-leash dogs at Monte Cecilia.

New claims on top cop's psychometric test exemptions for police recruits

New claims on top cop's psychometric test exemptions for police recruits

19 Jun 06:19 PM
Premium
Alleged Auckland drug kingpin hiding in Mexico, police believe

Alleged Auckland drug kingpin hiding in Mexico, police believe

19 Jun 06:04 PM
Premium
Jobs on the line at Auckland's plush Government House in cost-cutting proposal

Jobs on the line at Auckland's plush Government House in cost-cutting proposal

19 Jun 06:02 PM
Help for those helping hardest-hit
sponsored

Help for those helping hardest-hit

NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • NZ Herald e-editions
  • Daily puzzles & quizzes
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Subscribe to the NZ Herald newspaper
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP