Inquiries & Recommendations

Ngā ketuketutanga me ngā tūtohunga

On the afternoon of 10 June 2013, KiwiRail's Tranz Alpine passenger train was travelling from Greymouth to Christchurch. The train departed from the Otira station on time, heading for the western portal of the Otira Tunnel. At about the same time, signals technicians had finished work on testing the tunnel door and ventilation systems at the western portal of the tunnel.

At 0730 on Monday 10 June 2013, the KiwiRail Scenic-operated passenger train the Capital Connection was en route from Palmerston North to Wellington and had stopped at Waikanae Station to exchange passengers. The train was fitted with a mobility hoist in the rear-most luggage van for boarding and alighting passengers in wheelchairs.

On 7 June 2013 a Boeing 737-838 operated by Jetconnect Limited was undergoing scheduled maintenance at Auckland International Airport. During an inspection of the forward electronics and equipment compartment area under the flight deck, metal filings were found next to the stabiliser trim cable drum. On closer inspection a rag was found trapped under the stabiliser trim cable windings on the forward cable drum.

On Monday 20 May 2013, Train 8219 was the scheduled Tranz Metro passenger train travelling from Porirua to Wellington. The train was an electric multiple unit consisting of four passenger coaches. At 0743 the rear coach of the train derailed as it was entering Wellington Station limits. Four of the 315 passengers on board the train received minor injuries. The derailed coach remained upright but sustained extensive damage to machinery underneath the coach floor. An air compressor was forced up through the coach floor into the passenger compartment.

On 18 May 2013 an Airbus A340 aeroplane operated by LAN Airlines, Chile was making an early-morning departure from Auckland Airport for a scheduled return flight to Sydney. In addition to the captain and the first officer, there were eight cabin crew and 196 passengers on board.

On 15 April 2013 a two-car Matangi passenger train was operating the service from Wellington to Melling Station. As the train was slowing on the approach to Melling Station it encountered slippery track conditions, and despite the efforts of the train driver the train collided with the stop block just past the station platform. The train was damaged and three passengers received first aid, with one sustaining minor injuries. The force of the collision lifted the concrete stop block out of the ground.

This accident occurred during a dual training flight to revise handling procedures prior to the student pilot being tested for the initial issue of a private pilot licence. One of the exercises to be revised was the recommended recovery procedure in the event of an un-commanded right roll, as might occur when subjected to an acceleration (or force) less than that due to gravity (G). The instructor had no intention of deliberately causing a low-G condition.

On 28 March 2013, a Tranz Metro six-car Ganz Mavag electric multiple unit train was running an evening peak-hour passenger service from Wellington to Taita. The train was being driven by a trainee driver (trainee) undergoing on-the-job training. His performance was being monitored by a "minder driver", who was sitting across from and outside the driver's cab.

On 9 March 2013 a Robinson Helicopter Company (Robinson) R66 helicopter crashed in the North Island's Kaweka Range after experiencing an occurrence known as a 'mast bump'. A main rotor blade then struck the fuselage, causing the helicopter to break up in flight. The pilot, who was the only person on board, was killed.

On 24 February 2013 a Robinson R44 Raven II helicopter operated by Volcanic Air Safaris Limited had just departed on its second scenic flight for the day, with the pilot and three passengers on board, when the engine lost power. The pilot put the helicopter into autorotation and turned the helicopter towards the shoreline, where she carried out a successful ditching in shallow water near the lake edge. The pilot and passengers were able to evacuate the helicopter uninjured. They were picked up shortly afterwards by a nearby jet boat.

Please see TSB website for the full report using the link in the sidebar to the right.

A freight train hauling 36 wagons derailed soon after leaving Glenbrook for Mount Maunganui. Nobody was hurt, but there was extensive damage to the track, wagons and steel freight, and the line was closed for 3.5 days. The Commission found that brakes had failed because operating staff didn’t configure them correctly. Key learnings include the need for operating staff to follow established procedure and stay alert when working shifts.