Inquiries & Recommendations

Ngā ketuketutanga me ngā tūtohunga

At about 1924 hours on 5 January 2009, a recreational jet-boat and personal watercraft collided almost head-on at high speed close to willow trees near the bank of the Kawarau River, Queenstown. None of the 3 persons on the jet-boat was wearing a lifejacket2, so when the driver and front-seat passenger were ejected from the boat in the collision and probably rendered unconscious, they drowned. The third person received minor injuries.

[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 Thursday 15 March 2001, at about 0517, the coastal container ship "Spirit of Enterprise" was outbound from Dunedin in Otago Harbour with 11 crew on board under the control of its pilot exempt master, when it sheered violently to port turning through 180 degrees in the channel at Deborah Bend. The master took the ship back to the swinging basin off Port Chalmers where tests of the steering machinery were carried out. Finding no faults, the master resumed the outward passage but again the vessel sheered at Deborah Bend, this time touching the channel side.

On Wednesday 15 August 2001 at about 0930 hours, Train 2621, an Upper Hutt to Wellington electric multiple unit passenger service, departed prematurely from Ava station with the doors on the passenger cars open. The train travelled about 200 m with the doors open before the Tranz Metro Driver became aware of the situation and brought it to a halt. There were no injuries to passengers or staff. The safety issues identified included: • the training and certification of new entrant staff for guard duties • the procedures for Tranz Metro Drivers to follow before departing stations

About half way through the take-off roll there was a 'bang' and the left wing dropped. The left undercarriage leg had failed just above the wheel/ski stub axle attachment flange. The pilot was unable to prevent the damaged undercarriage/ski assembly digging into the snow and the aircraft nosed over onto its back.

On Thursday 30 September 2010, Ganz passenger Train 6250 was travelling from Wellington to Paekakariki on the northbound main line with 44 passengers on board. It was raining heavily and had been for several hours. A landslide had come down from a cutting above the rail corridor and covered the northbound line with debris between Plimmerton and Pukerua Bay. The train was travelling at 60 kilometres per hour (km/h) when it rounded a curve and the driver saw the landslide.

New Zealand's flying training sector

On Friday 22 September 2000, at about 2338, express freight Train 521 derailed when travelling too fast for the first curve encountered descending the 1 in 35 down grade on the Westmere bank. The 2 locomotives were severely damaged when they overturned following the derailment. The locomotive engineer received only minor injuries. The reason for the excessive speed was the locomotive engineer’s loss of awareness during a microsleep.

On Tuesday 30 November 2004, ZK-JAN, a Piper PA34-200T Seneca II, was on an air transport charter flight returning to Nelson from New Plymouth with the pilot and one passenger on board. After departing New Plymouth and obtaining approval to operate up to 8500 feet under visual flight rules, the aircraft struck Mount Taranaki / Egmont about 150 feet below the summit. The 2 occupants were killed on impact and the aircraft was destroyed.

On Friday, 20 August 1999 at about 1410, the jet boat "Helijet 2", with a driver and 8 passengers on board, was proceeding at about 60 km/h past a series of rocky outcrops on the Kawarau River when the driver experienced what he considered to be a lock-up of his steering system as he rounded the last of the outcrops. The driver freed the steering by reducing throttle and moving the steering wheel from side to side. Meanwhile, the boat had entered a cove and the driver turned the boat to avoid a head-on collision with a rock face.