By Angela Beswick A report into the fatal plane crash in Fox Glacier will be released later today.
Nine people died in the Skydive NZ crash on September 4, labelled New Zealand’s worst aviation disaster in 17 years.
Dental and fingerprint records were used to formally identify the victims – five locals and four tourists.
A team of six investigators from the Transport Accident Investigation Commission (TAIC), with the regional coroner Richard McElrea, remained at the scene for several days and said they were confident they would find “most, if not all” of the reasons for the crash – despite fire causing massive damage to the Fletcher FU24 aircraft.
The aircraft was not required to have a flight recorder, or voice recorder, and did not have these devices on board.
"But given the availability of the other evidence that is likely to be forthcoming, we are pretty confident we can identify most if not all of the contributing factors," said investigator in charge Ian McClelland.
Several witnesses were interviewed by police and investigators.
Police named the victims as Skydive NZ director Rodney Miller, 55, from Greymouth, pilot Chaminda Senadhira, 33, from Queenstown, and dive masters Adam Bennett, 47, from Australia but living in Moteuka, Michael Suter, 32, from New Plymouth, Christopher McDonald, 62, from Mapua, and Rodney Miller, 55 from Greymouth.
The four tourists who died were Patrick Byrne, 26, from County Wexford, Ireland; Glen Bourke, 18, from Coburg, Victoria, Australia; Annita Kirsten, 23, from Germany; and Brad Coker, 24, from Farnborough, England.
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