Inquiries & Recommendations

Ngā ketuketutanga me ngā tūtohunga

On Wednesday 12 March 2003, at 1547, flight SQ286, a Boeing 747-412 registered 9V-SMT, started its take off at Auckland International Airport for a direct 9 hour flight to Singapore. On board were 369 passengers, 17 cabin crew and 3 pilots.

On Saturday 22 February 2003 at about 1130, the commercial jet boat "Wilderness Jet 3" was travelling downstream on the Dart River, with a driver and 4 passengers on board, when it collided with Private Jet Boat proceeding upstream with a driver and one passenger on board. The boats came to rest on a shingle bank with the commercial boat on top of the private boat. The Private Jet Boat was extensively damaged. Both drivers and 4 of the passengers sustained minor injuries. Safety issues identified included: · the concentration of traffic on the Dart River

On Tuesday 18 February 2003, at about 1530, as the spectator fleet proceeded back towards Auckland Harbour after race 3 of the America’s Cup regatta, the pleasure launch "Barossa" and the passenger trimaran "Triptych" collided in the vicinity of the entrance to the Rangitoto Channel. There were 10 people on board the Barossa, and 7 crew and 64 passengers on board the "Triptych". During the collision 3 of those on the launch fell or jumped into the sea but they were rescued by other craft.

On Sunday 16 February 2003, at about 1823, seven wagons at the rear of northbound express freight Train 380 derailed while negotiating a right-hand curve between Taumarunui and Okahukura on the North Island Main Trunk. The curve was covered by a temporary heat restriction of 40 km/h and the train was travelling at about 85 km/h when the derailment occurred. A track buckle was triggered by the passage of the train travelling much faster than the authorised speed. The safety issues identified included: · the excessive speed of the train

On Monday 10 February 2003, at about 1305, train control authorised northbound express freight Train 142 to depart Te Kauwhata and enter a single line section of track, into which an opposing hi-rail vehicle movement had been authorised about 30 minutes earlier, thereby creating the potential for a head-on collision. The safety issues identified included: · the training and certification of new entrant train controllers on additional train control desks soon after their initial certification

On Monday 10 February 2003, at about 1600, hi-rail vehicle 67425 derailed near Fordell during a special hot weather track inspection on the Marton-New Plymouth Line. The vehicle rolled and came to rest on its side, clear of the track. The driver sustained serious injuries and the vehicle was extensively damaged. As a result, about 90 minutes passed before the driver was able to use his cellphone to alert the Police, and subsequently train control, to his situation.

On Sunday 2 February 2003 at 1656, ZK-EJG, a Cessna U206G, took off from runway 21 at Ardmore Aerodrome bound for Waiheke Island. On board were the pilot and 2 passengers. After entering a left turn at about 600 feet, there was a sudden and total loss of engine power and the engine stopped. The pilot was able to continue the turn to position and land safely on the reciprocal runway. There were no injuries or further damage to the aircraft. The engine stopped because 2 connecting rods broke, punctured the engine casing and seized the engine.

On Thursday 16 January 2003, at about 1743, the passenger ferry "Harbour Cat" was proceeding from Birkenhead to Auckland with 3 crew and 2 passengers on board when a fire was discovered in the starboard engine space. The crew extinguished the fire and the ferry continued to the Auckland ferry terminal on its port engine alone. One of the crew suffered from slight smoke inhalation. Safety issues identified included: * access to engine rooms on passenger ferries * adequacy of procedure and training of ships’ crew in tackling engine space fires.

On Tuesday 14 January 2003, at about 2220, Life Flight Trust BK-117 helicopter ZK-III was on a night VFR flight from Wellington Hospital to Masterton Hospital to pick up an injured patient for an emergency medical transfer. After inadvertently overflying a waypoint by a short distance towards high terrain, the pilot began an emergency climb through cloud. During this climb the helicopter collided with trees, but was flown on to an emergency landing at Masterton. The helicopter sustained substantial damage, and the pilot received a serious hand injury. The other occupants were uninjured.

On Tuesday, 7 January 2003, at about 1928, a passenger who had alighted from an electric multiple unit train at Paekakariki was injured as she got down off a wagon of an express freight train. The freight train was berthed at the platform at Paekakariki and blocking access via a pedestrian crossing over the railway line to the public car park. The injured passenger was one of a number of passengers who climbed over the flat deck wagon to gain access to the car park beyond. The passenger suffered a serious ankle injury, which required hospital treatment.

On Wednesday 18 December 2002 at about 2230, northbound express freight Train 220 was approaching Rukuhia when dragging brake gear on a wagon near the middle of the train hit the spreader bar of the south-end turnout. As a result of the impact, the train parted and 11 wagons derailed. Safety issues identified included: · the limitations of the fulcrum pin connecting the brake vertical lever to the brake beam · the absence of a safety wire to support the push rod in the event of a failure.

On Tuesday 17 December 2002, at 2036, ZK-TZC, a twin engine Piper PA31-325 Navajo, took off from Feilding Aerodrome on a visual flight rules flight to Paraparaumu. The pilot and his 2 young sons were on board.