Club mourns crash victims

Taranaki's aviation community is mourning the deaths of two men who died in Thursday's gyrocopter crash near Hawera.

Stephen John Chubb, 51, of Okaiawa was in the air with Neville Ronald Adlam, 70, of New Plymouth, on a training flight when the aircraft plummeted to the ground near Normanby on Thursday.

The pair were killed when they struggled to gain altitude while Mr Chubb was instructing Mr Adlam and crash-landed in a paddock 500m off SH3.

The gyrocopter belonged to Mr Adlam.

Several take-off and landing attempts were made at the nearby aerodrome before the crash about 1.30pm.

It is the second gyrocopter crash in South Taranaki in the past 10 years and yet another tragedy for the tight-knit Hawera Aero Club.

Club president Ralph Gibson said Mr Chubb, a cabinetmaker by trade, kept to himself but never shied away from helping out.

"He was always willing to offer a hand with anything that needed to be done within the club."

Not only the local flying community had been affected by the loss.

"The flying community of New Zealand is quite small, so when someone dies, throughout the country it hits all of us quite hard. It is a sombre day today. It has hit the club hard."

Mr Chubb's best friend, a bichon frise named Leroy, was always by his side except when the instructor was airborne.

Leroy was left patiently waiting for his master's return to the aerodrome on Thursday.

"Everywhere Stephen went, that dog followed. They were never apart."

Club patron Ray Babington said Mr Chubb's own gyrocopter was familiar in aero club circles and he was known as a stickler for getting things right.

"He would only fly when he was 100 per cent sure his machine was in good condition.

"He loved his machine and was enthusiastic about flying."

Mr Chubb was president of the New Zealand Autogyro Association.

Mr Babington said Mr Chubb could always be counted on, both within the flying community and as a friend.

Police are continuing an investigation and investigators from the Civil Aviation Authority are carrying out an examination at the scene before the removal of the wreckage.

The bodies of the men were taken from the site on Thursday night and post mortem examinations were carried out yesterday.

Details will be forwarded to the coroner.

Anyone who saw the crash or lead-up is asked to call Hawera police on (06) 278 0260.

- © Fairfax NZ News