Veteran pilot killed, passenger seriously injured after gyrocopter crash in NSW

Air safety experts are continuing investigations into how a routine flying lesson turned to tragedy, leaving one man dead and another critically injured after a gyrocopter crashed in NSW.

Seasoned flyer Phil Wright, 70, yesterday took student pilot Tom Zwanink for a flight in his gyrocopter.

But following an afternoon of flying, 35kms north of Raymond Terrace, north of Newcastle, the pair hit trouble when the rotorcraft struck a tree.

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Emergency services were called to Allworth at about 4.30pm when the aircraft crashed.

Wright, who had more than 30 years of flying experience, was found dead inside the aircraft.

Zwanink was found outside the aircraft with serious injuries to his chest, face and legs.

He was taken to John Hunter Hospital via air ambulance.

Inspector and intensive care paramedic, Jake Broughton-Rouse, said the rescue mission was "incredibly difficult".

"The crash happened on an isolated location and took a significant amount of time and cooperation with other agencies to locate and provide assistance to the pilot and passenger," he told media shorty after the incident.

"Unfortunately we located a one male who was deceased in the aircraft and a second patent another male outside the aircraft.

"It was a difficult extraction and we removed him from the scene via a four-wheel drive."

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A gyrocopter looks like a small helicopter but has no engine turning the main rotor.

The aircraft only had two passengers, police said.

The nearby Remlap Park Airport had been the home base for their lessons over the past few weeks.

A crime scene has been established and an investigation is underway.

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