Inquiries & Recommendations

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At about 2218 on Friday, 23 February 2001, northbound Train 144 struck a derailed wagon while passing southbound Train 237 between Pukekohe and Paerata on the North Island Main Trunk line. The incident occurred when a PK wagon conveying containers on Train 237 became derailed at Paerata as a result of a wheel bearing failure. The LE of Train 237 had seen sparks coming from the middle of his train and suspected a possible dragging brake rod. He was unaware of the derailment and proceeded slowly from Paerata towards Pukekohe where he intended to stop and inspect his train.

Electric multiple unit passenger Train 6294 was stationary but attempting to depart from Mana station when an electrical fault on one of the traction motors caused a short circuit and fire in the train’s main electrical equipment case. High current being drawn by the short circuit caused the overhead traction lines to part and fall onto the train.

At about 1520 hours on Saturday 16 March 1996, Cessna 172 ZK-CGE took off from Mandeville Aerodrome on a private flight to Big Bay. The aeroplane did not gain sufficient altitude after take-off to clear a line of willow trees some 500 m from the departure end of the runway, and collided with the trees, killing the pilot. The three passengers sustained minor injuries. The aeroplane was found to have been operated at a weight 136 kg in excess of the maximum permitted all-up weight, which degraded the take-off performance sufficiently to cause the collision with the trees.

On Thursday 5 April 2007, ZK-DOJ, a Piper PA32S-300 Cherokee 6, was on a local charter flight from Queenstown with a pilot and 2 passengers on board. The flight was to include a landing and short stopover at Elfin Bay on the shores of Lake Wakatipu, before returning to Queenstown. During the landing at Elfin Bay, the pilot deliberately steered the aircraft off the side of the airstrip to avoid overrunning the end. The aircraft struck a fence and sustained moderate damage but there was no injury to the passengers or pilot.

On Tuesday 27 April 2004 at about 1605 hours, express freight Train 220 collided with the empty trailer of a fertiliser truck and trailer unit at a farm access level crossing between Maewa and Rangitawa on the North Island Main Trunk. The front bogie of the lead locomotive derailed and the truck and trailer unit was extensively damaged. One traction mast was knocked over and the overhead catenary brought down. The locomotive engineer and the truck driver both suffered minor injuries. The safety issues identified were: • the legal status of the level crossing

Summary of the incident On 28 November 2011 a track maintenance gang arrived at the Crown Road level crossing near Paerata to relocate an 11-tonne hi-rail excavator from there to Pukekohe Station Yard about 5 kilometres (km) away. A scheduled passenger train with 7 people on board was due to pass through the Crown Road level crossing on its way to Pukekohe. The train controller had authorised an unscheduled "training shuttle" train to proceed to Pukekohe several minutes ahead of the scheduled passenger train. The training shuttle looked just like the scheduled passenger train.

[A preliminary investigation showed that the circumstances were not likely to have significant implications for transport safety. Consistent with section 13 of the TAIC Act the Commission discontinued the investigation and no report was published.]

This report relates to the possible in-flight incapacitation of the pilot of Rotec Rally 3, microlight aircraft ZK-WAC near Warkworth on 14 April 1991. The safety issues discussed are the maintenance of a minimum fabric strength on microlight aircraft and measures for improving the monitoring of microlight pilots' fitness to fly.

At about 1050 on Monday, 23 March 1998, a commercial jet boat carrying 14 passengers was transiting down the upper Dart River. While negotiating a right hand bend in the river, the driver reduced power as he turned the boat hard left around a rock in midstream. When he re-applied power the engine stalled. Without directional control the driver was unable to prevent the boat striking a large rock on the river bank. The passengers and the driver received minor to serious injuries in the accident. Seven passengers were evacuated by helicopter.

[A preliminary investigation showed that the circumstances were not likely to have significant implications for transport safety. Consistent with section 13 of the TAIC Act the Commission discontinued the investigation and no report was published.]

On Friday 18 0ctober 2002, at about 0515, 2 wagons on the rear of southbound express freight Train 215 derailed while negotiating a turnout as the train departed from the Hamilton container transfer depot. The derailed wagons were detached and the train continued its journey south, but at about 0750, as it entered Te Kuiti, 3 further wagons derailed as they crossed the north-end turnout. On Tuesday 25 March 2003, at about 0145, 12 wagons on northbound express freight Train 934 derailed while crossing the south-end turnout at Sawyers Bay.