What happened
During an anniversary celebration for the London - Christchurch Rallye, two RNZAF Devon aircraft were performing a demonstration flight at Wigram Airbase. The aircraft involved, registered as NZ1810 and NZ11811, were approaching the airfield from a southern direction at an altitude of approximately 1,200 feet.
During this approach, the wings of the two planes made contact, with reports indicating that the right wing of NZ1810 struck the left wing of NZ1811. This mid-air impact caused both aircraft to lose control. Both planes subsequently dove into the ground, crashing in a paddock situated roughly 700 meters from the airbase. The collision resulted in the total destruction of both aircraft and seven fatalities, as there were no survivors among the crew members on board.
Findings
Official investigations concluded that the accident was caused by poor judgment by both flight crews while they were operating in formation.