The police have named the two men who died in a light aircraft crash in the Kaimanawa Ranges near Taupō at the weekend.
Photo: 123RF
They were Peter Scott Callagher, 27, and Zakir Ali Parkar, 29.
Both men were pilots from the Ardmore Aviation Academy in Auckland, which described them as experienced instructors.
They were flying the Diamond DA42 plane when it lost contact at 9pm Saturday.
The Transport Accident Investigation Commission (TAIC) is investigating the crash.
TAIC previously said the aeroplane was last seen on radar about 22 nautical miles south-southeast of Taupō.
The search for the pair of pilots was hampered by poor weather and the wreckage was found at 11.30am on Sunday in steep terrain in the area where the aeroplane was last observed.
The police later confirmed that both men had died and their bodies had been recovered.