What happened
On a flight traveling from Kaita le to Whangarei, a single-engine aircraft departed Kaitaia at 11:34 local time. While performing a ferry mission, the pilot executed a low-altitude pass over a residence in the Mataraua Valley. Following this maneuver, the aircraft entered a 360-degree turn, likely intended to increase altitude. During this sequence, the plane struck trees approximately 8 miles southwest of Kaikohe.
The impact occurred in heavily wooded terrain, leading to the total destruction of the aircraft. There was one fatality involving the pilot, who was the only person on board at the time of the crash.
Findings
Investigations into the accident determined that the pilot was operating an aircraft with performance characteristics that were not familiar to them. The crash was caused by the pilot's inability to recover from a stall while performing maneuvers at a low altitude within hilly terrain.