Investigation continues into gyrocopter crash

The two men killed when a gyrocopter crashed into a paddock in Normanby yesterday afternoon (Thursday, 12 November) have been named as Neville Ronald Adlam and Stephen John Chubb.

The gyrocopter crashed around 1.40pm, about 500 metres from SH3 on Ohangai Road. No-one on the ground was hurt.

Enquiries have revealed that Mr Chubb, who was aged 51 and from Okaiawa, South Taranaki, was an instructor and was giving tuition to 70-year-old Mr Adlam from New Plymouth.

The pair had taken off and landed at the nearby aero-club on a number of occasions during the afternoon before the crash happened.

The men’s bodies were removed from the wreckage last night. A team from the Civil Aviation Authority is still at the scene carrying out an examination and will later today remove the wreckage for further investigation into the cause of the crash. It may be some time before the exact cause of the crash is known.

Post mortems have today been carried out on the two men and details will be provided to the Coroner.

If anyone witnessed the crash or the lead up to the crash and hasn’t yet spoken to police they are asked to contact Hawera Police on 06 278 0260.