The pilot, 26-year-old Anthony Fraser, was on a cross-country navigation exercise when the jet lost oil pressure and suffered engine failure. He ejected and landed safely by parachute as his plane exploded in a blast that could be seen kilometres away.

An investigation has started.

Vulcanologists say the wall has been weakened by the recent eruptions but they say a collapse would be a worse-case scenario and there are no outward signs that it is about to happen.

They have brought in equipment to monitor the situation and say it will be important to maintain the watch as the mountain's crater lake refills.

Meanwhile volcanic ash from Ruapehu continues to disrupt air travellers as wind changes put people south of the mountain into the area affected by the ash shower.

Rotorua and Taupo airports remain closed, but airlines say the cloud is creeping south and west.

The mountain continues to be quiet, although there was a pick-up in seismic activity around midnight last night.

Earlier Eruption Pictures and stories

Engineers have warned that lahars (floods of water, ash and mud from the volcano) are causing river banks to break and are threatening roads, buildings and communities.

The memorial to 151 people killed in 1953 when a train was washed away in a lahar is threatened. Engineers fear that rivers filled with ash and stones will flood in the spring thaw and cause far wider damage.

Remedial work could cost hundreds of millions of dollars.

Most airports are back to normal. Rotorua flights were disrupted this morning but are now back on schedule. Two flights were cancelled in Wanganui today.

That's the No. 1 choice in a special One Network News/Colmar Brunton Poll on preferred coalition options. On the results of last night's One Network News/Colmar Brunton Poll

of party support such a coalition would have 87 seats in an MMP parliament.

A National/Labour coalition would total 75 seats.

The third choice, a Labour/New Zealand First coalition would gain 66 seats in the 120-seat Parliament.

Coalitions involving other parties could not form a government.

The recommendation comes after the death of a man in a chase last year when road spikes failed to stop him. Police have been cleared of blame for the death of the man, but there have been three reported failures of road spikes and the authority says something must be done.

Police say two models have been involved in the failures and they are looking at a lighter and more compact version.

Justice Minister Doug Graham, has promised a law change to give police and local councils more powers to deal with gangs and their fortified houses.

"Dirty Dog" shades are now being worn from Chile to the Czech republic; they are particularly popular with young people.

Now some Kiwi mothers say they were subject to similar practices here.

They claim they were also lied to and coerced into giving up their babies.

The women want a Commission of Inquiry.

The Electricity Supply Association predicts that prices will fall after changes to the country's electricity systems in October.

The supply association says prices have risen for domestic consumers as the amount they subsidise commercial and industrial users by was reduced.

In future domestic charges should come into line with the other prices - which have been falling for the past five years.

Parliament changed the rules so they could travel to Atlanta for up to six weeks without losing their invalids' benefits.

The action came last night when Social Welfare Minister Peter Gresham pushed a Social Security Amendment Bill through Parliament which enables all invalid beneficiaries to stay out of the country for up to six weeks without losing benefits.

Labour police spokesman George Hawkins claims Asian gangs in Auckland are demanding $1,000 payments from Asian schoolchildren who risk being beaten if they refuse to pay. He says gangs are targeting Asian children attending elite schools.

Police confirm that some extortion is happening but say there is no connection with schools. Principals at colleges with many Asian students say they have no knowledge of protection rackets.

Horizon Pacific runs stations in Auckland, Hamilton, Wellington, Christchurch and Dunedin and was set up by TVNZ.

Chief Executive Trevor Egerton says the stations' local news could not compete with Holmes and Shortland Street. Current affairs chat shows will replace the news programmes. .