Air NZ plane crash report still awaited - one year on

The release of a report into the cause of the crash of an Air New Zealand Airbus off the French coast a year ago has been delayed.

The Airbus 320 crashed into the Mediterranean off the coast of Perpignan on November 28 last year, during a final acceptance flight before the plane was handed back to Air New Zealand after a two-year charter to German company XL Airways.

Seven people were killed in the crash: five New Zealanders and two Germans. The crash happened on the 29th anniversary of the Erebus crash, which killed 257 passengers and crew.

French prosecutor Jean-Pierre Dreno told the Sunday Star-Times he would release his report into the cause of the Perpignan crash by the end of December. It was due by the end of this month.

"Legal experts appointed by the examining magistrate are investigating the causes of the crash," Dreno said. "Once we have uncovered the causes, we can then decide whether criminal charges will follow or not."

The Paris-based Bureau d'Enquetes et d'Analyses' interim report in February suggested the crash may have been caused by manoeuvres at too low an altitude while on a test flight. The report was criticised by Air New Zealand chief executive Rob Fyfe for suggesting pilot error.

Coroners' inquiries into the deaths of the five Kiwis – Noel Marsh, Murray White, Michael Gyles, Brian Horrell and Jeremy Cook – are on hold pending a final report.

Meanwhile, family members of both the New Zealand and German victims will attend a commemoration service in Perpignan on Friday attended by Air NZ deputy CEO Norm Thompson.