Friends shattered by Fox Glacier crash

BY ALASTAIR PAULIN

The staff of Skydive Abel Tasman have been rocked by the deaths of friends and colleagues in Saturday's plane crash at Fox Glacier, which killed nine.

New Zealand's worst aviation accident in 17 years happened when the plane, carrying a party of tandem skydivers from Skydive New Zealand, crashed in a ball of flames at the end of the runway just after takeoff at 1.15pm.

Lisa Chambers, sales and marketing manager for Skydive Abel Tasman in Motueka, said that as soon as staff heard the news about 2pm on Saturday, they knew they had to close for several days.

The company has cancelled its bookings and will make a decision about when to reopen on Wednesday.

Mapua veterinarian Chris McDonald, 62, a veteran skydiver, was killed in the crash. He was also a tandem master and had worked as a skydiving instructor in Fox Glacier for six years before returning to practise as a vet at Tasman Bay Vets. He had been a vet in the Nelson area since the 1970s.

His fellow vet Paula Short said the fact that he would go skydiving in his lunch break "epitomised his zest for life, which was a lesson he can teach people: you make the most of life".

She said Mr McDonald was an adventurer who travelled in places like Afghanistan in the 1970s. He leaves behind two teenage sons, Scott and Tommy, his former wife Sandra Oddie, of Nelson, and his partner Dido Eden, of Mapua.

One of the tandem masters killed in the crash, Rod Miller, 55, was the co-owner and operator of Skydive New Zealand, which owned the crashed plane. He was also the best friend of Skydive Abel Tasman owner Stuart Bean, who immediately went to Greymouth to be with Mr Miller's family.

Mr Bean, the chairman of the Parachute Industry Association, spoke with Mr Miller the night before the crash.

"He was my very best mate. I'm gutted."

Ms Chambers said Mr Miller, known as Sarge, was "a character and a half".

"He was full of life, very positive and inspirational. He loved everyone and accepted everyone with open arms. He was a fantastic leader and one of the best friends you could ever hope for."

Tandem master Adam Bennett, an Australian, worked for Skydive Abel Tasman from September 2008 until April this year, when he went to work for Skydive New Zealand at Fox Glacier.

"He was a fantastic guy. He was a very experienced tandem master and a keen BASE jumper. He was a very safety-conscious guy who loved the industry and loved the sport. He loved giving people the pleasure [of a tandem skydive experience]," said Ms Chambers.

The fourth tandem master was Michael Suter, 32, from New Plymouth.

The pilot of the Fletcher FU24, a former topdressing aircraft, was Chaminda Senadhira, 33, of Queenstown. Ms Chambers said he was known as a top skydiving pilot and had flown for the Motueka Good Vibes boogies, or skydiving get-togethers, for several years.

"He was an amazing guy. He was straight up, took his job very seriously, but he had a really bubbly personality and he always had a smile for everyone."

Mr Senadhira, who was known as Chami, is survived by his wife Nina and a five-year-old daughter from a previous relationship. Originally from Sri Lanka, he moved to Germany when he was seven. At the age of 22, he moved to New Zealand to train as a pilot.

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

A team of six Transport Accident Investigation Commission investigators is working on the crash. Mr Bean said there was no indication what had caused it. The investigation could take more than a year to complete.

Ms Chambers is organising a memorial jump for "the boys" at the Afterlife skydive boogie in Australia this week.

- © Fairfax NZ News