Inquiries & Recommendations

Ngā ketuketutanga me ngā tūtohunga

On Tuesday 1 April 1997 at 0828 hours, Cameron O-160 balloon ZK-FBS, on a passenger scenic flight, was making a go-around from a missed landing approach in foggy conditions when it contacted a power line. No injury or damage to the balloon resulted. A wind shift led to the missed landing approach. The go-around manoeuvre was insufficient or too late to avoid the power line. A safety issue addressed was the recent non-availability of Whenuapai and Ohakea weather information for pre-flight briefings.

At about 1013 on Thursday 25 August 2011, electric multiple unit metro passenger Train 6225 (the passenger train) was travelling southbound from Waikanae to Wellington when it nearly struck 2 track workers who were repairing the track in a protected work area between Paekakariki and North Junction.

On Thursday 21 December 2006, Piper PA23-250-E, registration Aztec ZK-PIW, was part-way through a training flight when after an intermediate landing the pilots observed an indication warning of a possible fault with the nose landing gear. The fault was rectified and the aircraft diverted to Ardmore at the request of an engineer. During the flight to Ardmore, a second landing gear indication fault occurred, this time with the right landing gear.

[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.]

The helicopter was engaged in an aerial survey of Central Electric's distribution system. The pilot and technician conducting the survey, which utilised GPS equipment to pinpoint individual power pole positions, were accompanied by a line surveyor from the local electrical supply authority who acted as a guide and supplementary lookout. During the course of mapping a roadside 11kV line, the helicopter collided with the Roxburgh-Islington A 220kV line. The reactive forces of the rotor strike tore the transmission and engine from the airframe.

On Sunday 15 April 2001, at about 2327, the liquefied petroleum gas carrier "Boral Gas" was outbound from the terminal in Papakura Channel in Manukau Harbour with 14 crew and a licensed harbour pilot on board when it grounded in soft mud on the north side of the channel. After nearly 2 hours the ship was refloated and continued its passage. There were no injuries and the ship suffered no structural damage. The grounding resulted from the pilot losing situational awareness primarily due to 4 consecutive light beacons marking the channel being extinguished.

During take-off on aerotow the competitor had difficulty in holding station behind the tug so the instructor released from tow and re-circuited to land behind the towplane. After landing the towplane turned right and blocked the glider's landing roll path causing the two aircraft to collide (see also 90-081)

On Friday 9 April 2010, ZK-EAQ, a Beechcraft 1900D aeroplane, departed from Auckland International Airport. As the aeroplane became airborne the rear cargo door opened. The crew returned and landed the aeroplane safely. There were no injuries and minor damage only to the aeroplane.

At about 1600 on Saturday, 11 October 1997, the Wellington Coastguard rigid inflatable craft "UDC Rescue" was engaged on a routine patrol near the entrance to Wellington Harbour, when the craft suffered a failure of the bags that secured the buoyancy bladders to the hull, resulting in two of the four bladders separating from the craft. Two crew were transferred to an assisting vessel and the skipper and one remaining crew member were able to beach the craft without further damage. Nobody was injured in the incident.

After touchdown at the conclusion of an evening scenic flight the aircraft veered off the private strip. The pilot was unable to regain directional control and the aircraft ground-looped, coming to rest in an adjacent ditch. The cause was not established. Unexpected deflation of the right main wheel tyre, or the effect of an isolated wind gust, were the most likely possibilities.

On Friday, 17 May 1996, at about 0845 hours, a truck and semi-trailer travelling east on Kirk Road, Templeton moved over the level crossing and stopped to gain entry to State Highway 1 with the semi-trailer foul of the railway line. The Southerner passenger express collided with the rear of the semi-trailer unit. There were no injuries. The cause was insufficient stacking room between the level crossing and the adjacent parallel State Highway.

On Thursday, 14 September 1995 at about 2252 hours a collision occurred between two motor vessels off the Port of Tauranga. A harbour pilot and one trainee pilot had just disembarked the outbound "MV Washington" and were proceeding out to board the inbound "MV Han Tao He" when the two vessels collided. Damage to the "Han Tao He" was substantial. Causal factors included non-compliance with the International Collision Regulations and the standard of bridge resource management.