Saturday, September 4, 2010

Briton killed in New Zealand air crash is named

Fox Glacier is a popular destination for tourists and sports enthusiasts

A British tourist who was among nine people killed in a plane crash in New Zealand has been named by the Foreign Office as 24-year-old Brad Coker.

New Zealand Police said Mr Coker, from Farnborough in Hampshire, was one of four foreigners on the light aircraft.

The plane, which was owned by a skydiving company, crashed soon after taking off from Fox Glacier on the South Island at 1330 local time.

Irish citizen Patrick Byrne, 26, from County Wexford, was also killed.

The Foreign and Commonwealth Office said it was offering consular assistance.

The dead were from Britain, Ireland, Australia and Germany, said police. The pilot and the other four passengers were all local.

The plane was reported to be a Fletcher fixed-wing aircraft, commonly used in the area.

It is thought to be New Zealand's worst aviation accident since a plane crashed on landing near Christchurch in 2003, killing eight people.

New Zealand's Transport Accident Investigation Commission has begun an investigation into the crash.

Two Cousins were also killed in this air crash.