As stated by Kāpiti-Mana Area Commander, Inspector Renée Perkins:
Two people have died in a helicopter crash north of Wellington this morning.
Police were notified to the crash in the Paekākāriki Hill area at about 7.30am.
Tragically, both the pilot and the sole passenger were located deceased following the crash.
Our thoughts are with their families at this time.
Work is ongoing to recover the deceased and to examine the crash scene, which will be done in conjunction with investigators from the Civil Aviation Authority.
Cordons are in place at the Battle Hill campground - media and members of the public are asked to respect those cordons and follow the instructions of emergency services staff.
Police would like to thank our partner agencies who assisted in the response this morning, including Maritime New Zealand's Rescue Coordination Centre, Fire and Emergency New Zealand, Westpac Rescue Helicopter, Civil Aviation Authority and Greater Wellington Regional Council.
