Two people missing after plane crashes into sea south west of Raglan

A search was underway this afternoon (Sat 30th Jan) for two people aboard a twin-engined aircraft which ditched in the sea 30km south west of Raglan off the Waikato’s west coast at around 12.20pm today after reporting engine failure. The search has now been called off for the night and Rescue Cordination have handed the search for the two missing people after a plane crash off coastal Waikato over to police. The Rescue Coordination Centre say it is confident that after an extensive search, if the people onboard had been on the surface, they would have been found.

The Rescue Coordination Centre New Zealand (RCCNZ) tasked the Westpac Helicopter from Auckland to investigate the last known position of the aircraft and identified an oil slick and wreckage south west of Raglan near Gannet Island. The aircraft is a twin-engine Beechcraft Baron and was travelling from Ardmore to Timaru. No details are known about the people onboard. It is understood that the aircraft is registered to 2degrees CEO Eric Hertz, according to a NewstalkZB report.

RCCNZ Search and Rescue Mission Controller John Dickson said the aircraft radioed Airways New Zealand to report engine failure shortly before radar contact was lost. “A helicopter from Phillips Search and Rescue in Hamilton is searching the area, along with a fixed-wing Coastguard aircraft, and a Raglan Coastguard vessel is also on scene and is picking up debris,” he said. “Unfortunately there has been no sign found of the people onboard.” He says search conditions are reasonably good and they are working on the basis they are searching for survivors. It appears that the aircraft is definitely not in one piece and there is lots of debris around. The water in the area is about 60m deep.