Vanuatu crash 01-08-2011

Cessna 207 YJ-FLY crashed at Vanuatu. on 01-08-2011.

The following details were sent in by MRC Aviation and Bargeld01.
YJ-FLY is Cessna 207 c/n 00362 which makes it ex ZK-EJD which was cancelled from the NZ register on 01-12-2010 having departed Kerikeri on 07-12-10.

(Photo of ZK-EJD will be added soon)

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A New Zealand tourist is being flown home for medical treatment after being injured in a plane crash in Vanuatu yesterday.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade confirmed that five New Zealand tourists were on a small plane that crash-landed in Port Vila around 6pm (NZ time) yesterday.

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A receptionist at Vila Bay Health Centre said three New Zealanders were admitted to hospital and remained in the centre's care.
An MFAT spokeswoman said one of them would be transported to New Zealand today for medical treatment.
The ministry would not confirm what injuries they had sustained.
The small air taxi-Vanuatu Cessna 207 crash landed in the Le Lagon Resort at around 6pm NZ time, New Zealand's High Commissioner in Vanuatu, Bill Dobbie, said.
He confirmed that five of the seven people onboard were New Zealanders and said the commission had provided them consular assistance.

Vanuatu Daily Post reported that the plane had run out of fuel but Air taxi-Vanuatu CEO Simon Turner said that was incorrect.

"The weather was particularly bad and visibility was low and the pilot didn't think he could make it to the runway," Turner said.
He said the pilot circled a few times before deciding to land in the golf course.
Turner said two people were taken to hospital and x-rayed and one was hospitalised with a fractured vertebra.
A local man, who lived 600 metres from where the plane landed in Port Vila, said it was raining so hard he didn't hear it come down.
He said there had been a severe tropical storm which meant there was zero visibility when the plane was attempting to land.

He said the plane hit a raised golf tee in the middle of the course which caused one of the wings to hit the ground and tip the plane onto its side.