Inquiries & Recommendations

Ngā ketuketutanga me ngā tūtohunga

On 14 April 2014 the general cargo vessel Da Dan Xia was berthed at the port of Wellington, New Zealand, preparing to load a cargo of logs. The crew were conducting a launch-and-retrieval drill for the vessel's freefall lifeboat, using the "alternative" launching and retrieval davit.

In the early hours of 2 March 2014, a diesel-hauled, four-carriage passenger train had completed passenger operations for the night and was returning empty from Waitakere for overnight stabling in the yard in Otahuhu, near Westfield. There were the train driver and one train manager on board.

On Thursday 27 February 2014 the Northern Explorer passenger train was on its journey from Auckland to Wellington. The train passed through Te Kauwhata station at 0937 with 108 passengers and five crew on board, heading towards the Te Onetea Road level crossing about 3.5 kilometres further south.

At about 1000 on Sunday 23 February 2014, the charter passenger catamaran Dream Weaver departed Westhaven Marina in Auckland for a dolphin- and whale-watching trip in Auckland's Hauraki Gulf. There were 36 passengers and a crew of four on board, comprising the master, the manager, the deckhand and a hospitality worker. The weather conditions were forecast to deteriorate throughout the day, with winds predicted to reach 40 knots from the southwest by evening.

The Solomon Islands has yet to publish a report on the accident. However, the Federal Aviation Authority (FAA) has issued a service bulletin to address technical issues with the aircraft involved, and the operator has taken action to address other matters. The Commission is unlikely to be asked for further assistance with the Solomon Island led investigation, so has closed its file.

New Zealand has completed its support under Annex 13 . The ARAIB continues its investigation. For further information please contact ARAIB using the link in the sidebar to the right. Please note: TAIC will not be producing a report for this inquiry.

On 5 November 2013 the passenger and freight ferry Aratere was in Cook Strait en-route from Picton to Wellington when the starboard propeller shaft fractured and the propeller was lost. The ship was able to complete the trip using its port propulsion system only. When the ship arrived in Wellington, divers confirmed that the starboard propeller tail shaft had totally fractured within its tapered section, near the forward end of the propeller.

On 2 November 2013 a British Aerospace Jetstream 32 aeroplane taking off from Auckland Airport started to veer left from the runway centreline. The captain was initially able to correct the heading change, but at about 90 knots the turn became uncontrollable. The aeroplane slowly ran off the left side of the runway before the captain could bring it to a stop. No-one was injured and there was no damage to the aeroplane or any airport infrastructure. The Transport Accident Investigation Commission (Commission) made the following findings:

12 tourists were flown in two AS350 Squirrel helicopters from Queenstown to a snowfield near Mount Tyndall. One of the helicopters collided with a parked helicopter while landing. All on board were injured, the pilot seriously. The Commission was unable to exclude the possibilities that the pilot misjudged the approach. There was no evidence to suggest that the pilot had a medical condition that contributed to the accident, but that possibility could not be excluded.

At 0957 on 7 October 2013, a Royal New Zealand Air Force Boeing 757 departed Christchurch for Pegasus Field aerodrome in Antarctica. There were 117 passengers and 13 crew on board. The passengers included a New Zealand Government Minister, staff from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, and staff from Antarctica New Zealand and the United States Antarctic Program.

On Monday 9 September 2013 at 1336, the NZ Transport Agency notified the Transport Accident Investigation Commission (Commission) of the incident under section 13(4) of the Railways Act 2005. The Commission opened an inquiry under section 13(1) of the Transport Accident Investigation Commission Act 1990, to determine the circumstances and causes of the incident, and appointed an investigator-in-charge.

On Tuesday 3 September 2013 an express freight train operated by KiwiRail was travelling from Tauranga to Auckland. The train consisted of a single locomotive hauling 36 wagons, 14 of which were conveying hazardous goods. At about 0300, as the train was approaching Mercer, a wheel-bearing on the 20th wagon behind the locomotive failed, resulting in that wagon derailing and tipping onto the adjacent southbound track. The following two wagons also derailed, one of them spilling its container and contents onto the adjacent State Highway One Expressway.