During a pleasure flight with a friend as passenger the pilot began to feel unwell. His symptoms of illness intensified quickly and realising he might become incapacitated the pilot reduced engine power and trimmed the aircraft for a slow descent. Witnesses saw the aircraft in a moderate descending left turn which continued until it collided with the sea some 50 m off Takapuna Beach. The pilot, who was seriously injured, regained consciousness underwater. Despite rescue attempts by the pilot, and others who arrived within a few minutes, the passenger drowned.
