'Very sad day for aviation' - Former colleague of light plane pilot says he was an 'all-round nice guy'

January 2, 2018

Professional pilot Dean Voelkerling and friend Paul Rawiri died when the home-made plane they were in crashed.

A former colleague of the pilot killed in the light plane crash in Northland yesterday has described him as an "all-round nice guy".

Dean Voelkerling died in the crash on a dairy farm at Pouto near Dargaville, shortly after 12.15pm yesterday. 

Mr Voelkerling was a rescue helicopter pilot. He was operations manager at Northland's Emergency Services Trust.

Chairman of Northland Emergency Services Trust Paul Ahlers said it is a "very, very sad day for us and aviation".

"We're all in shock," Mr Ahlers told 1 NEWS. 

Her said Mr Voelkerling was "extrememly popular".

Dean Voelkerling died in the crash on a dairy farm at Pouto near Dargaville yesterday.

"He had a passion for aviation and he had a passion for helping people, and if you can combine those two then it was a magic thing.

"For anybody who came across Dean, if they had a problem or needed help with anything, then Dean would give you the shirt off his back," he said.

"He was just genuinely one of the all round nice guys." 

Meanwhile, police have named the passenger in the plane who also died in the crash. He was Paul Rawiri from Cambridge. 

Two people died when the light plane crashed on a dairy farm at Pouto near Dargaville in the Kaipara District.

The Civil Aviation Authority is investigating the crash and the deaths have been referred to the Coroner.

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