Inquiries & Recommendations

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At 0420 on 18 October 2015 the skipper of the Jubilee made a radio 'mayday' call giving the Jubilee's location, saying that the vessel was taking on water and that they were abandoning the vessel into the liferaft. Later that day the wreck of the Jubilee was found by sonar on the seabed at the location given in the mayday call. During the following week divers identified the wreck of the Jubilee and recovered the bodies of all three crew members from the wheelhouse. The Commission found it was likely that flooding of the Jubilee’s fish hold was the main factor contributing to its sinking, o

[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 Wednesday 22 December 2004, ZK-HHT, a Hughes 369D helicopter was carrying a party of 3 kayakers into the upper reaches of Wanganui River, South Westland. The party’s kayaks and paddles were suspended in a cargo net underneath the helicopter. As the helicopter flew up the river the net swung back and struck the tail rotor, resulting in an immediate loss of tail rotor control.

Between March 2007 and October 2009 there were 5 derailments involving container wagons conveying single 6-metre (m) containers loaded with bulk grain, positioned on the leading ends of the wagons. The Transport Accident Investigation Commission (the Commission) combined the events into a single inquiry.

On 4 March 2009, the Tutukaka Coastguard vessel Dive! Tutukaka Rescue was tasked to assist a recreational vessel in difficulty in Ngunguru Bay south of Tutukaka. It was night-time and the sea condition was rough. The crew of the Coastguard vessel became so focused on locating the vessel in difficulty that they lost awareness of where their own vessel was and struck a rock at a moderate speed. The Dive! Tutukaka Rescue was extensively damaged and several crew members were seriously injured in the collision.

On Saturday, 14 March 1998, at about 1802 hours a displaced stack of platform containers on Train 235, a Westfield to Wellington express freight train, struck a through-truss bridge at Ngaruawahia. As a result of the collision the train parted, six wagons were derailed, and major damage to the bridge occurred when five wagons and various loads concertinaed. The cause of the collision was the movement of inadequately restrained stacked platform containers. Safety issues identified were: • the serviceability and uniformity of integral interlocking devices fitted to platform containers;

On Thursday, 13 August 1998, at about 0120, the fishing vessel "San Rakaia" grounded on Ninepin Rock at the entrance to Pelorus Sound. The vessel had been on passage from Nelson to the Cook Strait fishery with seven persons on board. There were no injuries. With assistance of other vessels the "San Rakaia" was refloated on the next high tide. Safety issues identified included: • inadequate management of the crew working routine, leading to fatigue • under utilisation of available navigation aids • lack of a watchkeeper monitor alarm for single-handed bridge operation

[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 1710 on Saturday, 5 September 1998, the passenger sailing vessel "Phantom of the Straits" was engaged on a short sailing trip on Wellington Harbour when fire broke out near the engine enclosure. The fire was eventually extinguished, but not before the vessel had suffered extensive fire and smoke damage below decks. The skipper suffered from minor smoke inhalation; otherwise none of the four passengers or deck-hand were injured in the fire. Factors contributing to the fire included substandard features in the electrical and machinery installations on board the yacht.

A passenger train nearly ran into a track maintenance team working on a bridge near Taumarunui. The train had been cleared to pass through the work site, but the workers were also under the impression that it was alright to occupy the track. The Commission highlighted three safety issues: the burden of the dual roles as team leader and RPO; the workers' poor non-technical skills (eg teamwork, situational awareness); and the substance impairment.

ZK-EVK departed from Wanaka on a VFR scenic flight to Milford Sound but failed to arrive. Wreckage from the aircraft was subsequently located on steep snow covered mountainous terrain at elevations up to 5400 feet. Following initial impact, major portions of the aircraft, including the fuselage, had fallen over precipitous bluffs. The pilot and the nine overseas tourists on board all received fatal injuries in the accident.

On Saturday 6 July 1996, Hughes 269C ZK-HVV was engaged in a series of NZ Army reconnaissance flights in an area between Waiouru and Taihape. When the helicopter failed to return from its last flight, a search was initiated and the wreckage of ZK-HVV was found some 900 m from the operating site. The pilot and one of the two passengers were killed and the second passenger seriously injured. The helicopter had collided with the ground while being operated at low level. Local loss of depth perception due to snow cover was a probable contributing factor. No new safety issues were raised.