The tail of the Air NZ jet was found off the coast of Perpignan. It was supposed to be a routine test flight. But at 4. One by one, the bodies of five Kiwi and two German airmen were recovered from the ocean by authorities, who then began the painstaking task of piecing together what happened in the lead-up to the tragedy. One of the first images that emerged with the crash news was the wreckage - the tail of the airbus submerged below the turquoise waters of the foreign ocean - which became a symbol of the tragedy.
It is understood the service is private. The sculpture was unveiled just before the first anniversary of the Perpignan disaster; which happened on the 29th anniversary of the Mt Erebus crash that claimed lives. It was designed to act as a focal point for those connected with the airline to "reflect" on the events. An airline spokeswoman said, as with previous years, family, friends and colleagues of the Perpignan victims were invited to pay their respects on the anniversary.
The ill-fated test flight was carried out after the airbus underwent light maintenance and repainting in Perpignan. An inquiry established the crew lost control of the airbus after it stalled at low speed and low altitude. A malfunction in the avionics had also contributed to the crash. Police swoop after package declared to be dining plates was actually plate-shaped MDMA.
Sign In Subscribe. Today marks the five-year anniversary of what became known as the Perpignan crash. New Zealand crime.
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