July 3, 1963, is a day that will forever go down in New Zealand's history as the day one of the worst plane crashes happened.

The National Airways Dakota DC-3 (ZK-AYZ) left from Whenuapai Airport, Auckland, bound for Wellington via Tauranga, Gisborne and Napier around 8.15am.

Shortly after 9am, the pilot made contact with the Tauranga aircraft control tower, his ETA was 9.08am. By 9.16am the plane had not arrived.

All on board on July 3, 1963 - 54 years ago – died when Flight 441 slammed into a rock wall in the Kaimai Range.

Bad weather and rough terrain meant it was almost 48 hours before the plane was found.

The wreckage of flight 441. Photo: Matamata Historical Society.

The impact and fire was so bad that a pathologist was needed to identify the charred, blackened remains of the 20 passengers and three crew.

An investigation into the crash found that while weather in Auckland and Tauranga that day was not too bad, there was an easterly gusting to 150kmh between the two.

In zero-visibility, with dodgy radio compasses, the pilots were effectively flying blind.

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