The Yak 52 aircraft that crashed in Feilding today killing two people is not related to the Tauranga City Airshow this weekend.

The Yak, a fully aerobatic Soviet era trainer crashed at Timona Park, off East Street in residential Feilding, at about 10.45am.

Timona Park – the scene of the crash. Image: Google Earth.

The plane had taken off from the nearby Taonui Aerodrome.
A witness, who lives next to the park, says she saw smoke coming out of the back of the aircraft moments before it crashed.

The aircraft is a privately operated aircraft based in Feilding and Tauranga City Airshow co-director Andrew Gormlie says it was not expected to be participating at the event.

There are eight or nine Yak aircraft expected to put on a flying display at the airshow, with a number of them flying up from New Plymouth.