20 Jan 2014

CAA to investigate Canterbury crash

9:51 am on 20 January 2014

Investigators from the Civil Aviation Authority will visit the scene of a fiery plane crash in Canterbury on Monday to try and piece together what caused Sunday's fatal accident.

The plane's pilot Martin Lowen, 55, died at about midday Sunday near Springfield in North Canterbury.

Investigators are due at 9am to visit the wreckage which was cordoned off overnight.

Police say the plane, a Dakota, was towing a glider a short time before the crash.

The glider pilot managed to detach from the plane and land safely, and both its occupants were unharmed.

It was the first of two fatal aircraft accidents on Sunday.

Two hours after the Springfield accident, a glider pilot died in a crash in Drury, south of Auckland.