Major safety changes have been recommended after a probe into a fatal plane crash near the Hood Aerodrome in Masterton

A pilot dropping off sky divers crashed into another plane when he attempted to overtake it.

The Transport Accident Investigation Commission found the sky diving plane was in the other pilots blind spot.

The other pilot's approach was against civil aviation rules but the 20-year-old pilot had been taught that way as part of local training.

The commission is recommending more education, better incident reporting and safer operations of unattended aerodromes.