Horror as women see boyfriends die in crash

Fox glacier plane crash

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Aerial footage of the plane crash near Fox Glacier which killed nine people.

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Two young women who watched a plane carrying their boyfriends crash and burn at Fox Glacier are shattered, police say.

Detective Sergeant Jackie Adams, of Greymouth, said the women – from Australia and England – left New Zealand yesterday.

"They watched the whole thing," Adams said.

"They're completely in bits. We offered them counselling, which they have turned down," he said.

Nine people died when a plane owned by Skydive New Zealand crashed at the Fox Glacier airstrip on Saturday.

Five men who worked for Skydive New Zealand were killed, alongside four overseas visitors.

The dead tourists were part of a group who had been travelling on a Kiwi Experience bus tour.

Air New Zealand had offered to fly the body of Australian teenager Glen Bourke home without charge, he said.

The airline had also offered to fly the family to New Zealand for free.

Adams was unsure whether any of the overseas families would travel to New Zealand.

Post mortems are continuing today on the nine people killed in Saturday's crash investigators start interviewing witnesses.

Police say dental and fingerprint records will be needed to formally identify the five locals and four tourists who died in the fiery Skydive NZ plane crash.

However, the victims have been named as Skydive director Rodney Miller, 55, from Greymouth, pilot Chaminda Senadhira, 33, from Queenstown, and dive masters Adam Bennett, 47, from Australia but living in Motueka, Michael Suter, 32, from New Plymouth, Christopher McDonald, 62, from Mapua, and Rodney Miller, 55, from Greymouth.

The four tourists who died were Patrick Byrne, 26, from County Wexford, Ireland, Glen Bourke, 18, from Coburg in Victoria, Australia, Annita Kirsten, 23, from Germany, and Brad Coker, 24, from Farnborough, England.

Grief was being poured out online, with many messages on Facebook sites from those who had skydived with Skydive New Zealand.

Transport Accident Investigation Commission staff will be at Fox Glacier for the next two days.

Spokesman Peter Northcote told The Press that some wreckage had been removed to be taken to Christchurch.

The remaining debris would be returned to Skydive New Zealand or their insurance company, he said.

The plane was "significantly destroyed" in the crash and resulting fire, he said.

It could be up to two years before a report was finalised, he said.

Regional Coroner Richard McElrea was at the crash site yesterday as part of his investigation.

Meanwhile, the Fox Glacier community is organising an auction to raise money for the families affected by the crash.

- © Fairfax NZ News