Two people have died after a light aircraft crashed in a remote area near Nelson on New Zealand's South Island, police said Tuesday.
The aircraft left Nelson Airport at about 9:10 a.m. local time and was reported overdue shortly before midday. Two rescue helicopters had been searching near its last-known location northeast of the city, Radio New Zealand reported.
The plane, which can carry up to four people, was found in the remote search area, south of Castor Peak, on Tuesday evening, according to Nelson Area Commander Steven Collins.
Flight tracking data from FlightRadar24 showed the privately owned Cessna Skyhawk reached an altitude of 3,100 feet before descending to 1,800 feet in 49 seconds and subsequently disappearing from radar near the Bryant Range, about 35 km northeast of Nelson.
Experts said the mountainous and rugged terrain, with numerous similar-looking valleys, could make flying difficult, particularly when flying below cloud cover, according to local media Stuff.