Authority Director Joseph Kasten said the search and rescue of nine passengers is now complete, with just one fatality.
Seven passengers were rescued, with another air lifted to a Brisbane hospital, and the ninth missing passenger was found later and flown to Luganvile hospital.
Recovering the wreckage of the Britten Norman Islander aircraft is difficult, he said, as it crashed into the hillside in remote dense bush on Espiritu Santo.
Kasten said they need outside help to determine the cause of the crash and recover the wreckage.
“We have been fortunate enough to have received some assistance from the French Army in New Caledonia through the French Embassy for which we are very thankful,” Kasten said. “They’ve played a big part also in the search and rescue, as well as in the uplifting of people there as well as transporting people to and from the crash site. We are having a meeting to seek assistance from the Australia or New Zealand governments for them to send a team of investigators to investigate this crash.”
