Pilot dies in Taranaki small plane crash

A man is dead after crashing in a small plane in Taranaki farmland today.

It was the second fatal air crash in Taranaki in less than a week.

The Rescue Coordination Centre received an emergency beacon alert from the single-engine plane at 12.15pm, about 8km north of Stratford, spokesman Lindsay Sturt said.

However, a helicopter was not able to search until about 4pm due to wet and windy weather conditions.

"The helicopter found the aircraft had crashed and unfortunately the pilot had died," Mr Sturt said.

A police search and rescue team had also been dispatched and arrived shortly after the helicopter.

Police would be recovering the man's body and notifying his next of kin, Mr Sturt said.

The plane had been flying between Ohakea and Ardmore airports.

It was not known yet what caused the crash, Mr Sturt said.

"The weather at the time was obviously very poor in that area... but whether that contributed to the accident we have no idea obviously."

The Civil Aviation Authority and the Transport Accident Investigation Commission would be notified of the crash, he said.

On Thursday Neville Ronald Adlam, 70, of New Plymouth, and Stephen John Chubb, 51, of Okaiawa, south Taranaki, died when their gyrocopter ploughed into a paddock.

The gyrocopter crashed about 500 metres from State Highway 3 on Ohangai Rd, Normanby, 72km southeast of New Plymouth at 1.40pm.

Mr Chubb was an instructor and was giving tuition to Mr Adlam at the time, police spokeswoman Kim Perks said.

- NZPA