Inquiries & Recommendations

Ngā ketuketutanga me ngā tūtohunga

On Friday 6 June 2003, Air Adventures New Zealand Limited Piper PA 31-350 Navajo Chieftain aeroplane ZK-NCA, was on an air transport charter flight from Palmerston North to Christchurch with one pilot and 9 passengers. At 1907 it was on an instrument approach to Christchurch Aerodrome at night in instrument meteorological conditions when it descended below minimum altitude, in a position where reduced visibility prevented runway or approach lights from being seen, to collide with trees and terrain 1.2 nm short of the runway.

On Thursday 15 May 2003, at about 1240 hours, bi-parting doors on Train 3247, a Tranz Metro Auckland to Papakura diesel multiple unit passenger service, closed on an alighting passenger at Glen Innes station and the train departed with the passenger trapped in the door. The driver heard the trapped passenger’s screams and stopped the train within about 15 m from where the train departed. The passenger suffered minor injuries. The safety issues identified were: · the door closure process · the inspection of safety critical door components.

[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.]

At about 0400 on Monday 5 May 2003, while steaming towards fishing grounds to the west of Fiji, the fishing vessel "Solander Kariqa" suffered a fire in the domestic refrigeration space resulting from maintenance involving oxy-acetylene cutting. The crew fought and contained the fire, which was not totally extinguished until about 2000 that evening. There were no injuries to the crew, but had they been unable to extinguish the fire with the limited fire fighting equipment available the vessel may have been lost with resulting injuries or fatalities. Safety issues identified were:

On Wednesday 16 April 2003, at about 1820, the motor tanker "Capella Voyager" grounded while entering Whangarei Harbour to berth at Marsden Point Oil terminal. The hull in the area of the forepeak tank was set up, creased and ruptured, water flooded into the forepeak tank. The "Capella Voyager" subsequently berthed safely at the oil terminal where the cargo was discharged. Temporary repairs were effected and the forepeak pumped out at Marsden Point before the ship sailed for Singapore to complete permanent repairs. There was no discharge of oil into the environment.

[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.

On Tuesday 18 March 2003 at about 1455, during a scenic tour of the Bay of Islands, the restricted limit passenger vessel, "Tiger III", encountered a steep wave with an unexpectedly deep trough behind it. The bow of the vessel rode up on this wave before dropping violently into the trough. Four passengers standing on the foredeck received serious injuries. There was no damage to the vessel. Safety issues identified were: · passenger access to the foredeck of the vessel during an open water passage · the unpredictability of sea conditions

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