Inquiries & Recommendations

Ngā ketuketutanga me ngā tūtohunga

On Tuesday, 6 July 1999, a loaded petrol wagon on Train 230, a northbound Wellington to Auckland express freight, derailed approximately 4 km south of Paraparaumu when a wheel on the leading bogie moved in on its axle. The brakes on the wagon had failed to release which caused the wheels to overheat. This overheating had been reported by a passing motorist and the train duly stopped just short of Paraparaumu, but not before the wagon had derailed. An incorrect tolerance fit of the wheel on the axle allowed the wheel to move inwards on the axle and derail the wagon.

On 12 December 2022 the Danish seine fishing vessel Boy Roel was fishing in the Bay of Plenty. While a net was being hauled from the seabed, the skipper climbed over the top of a winch to access the wheelhouse. The skipper’s leg became caught and was drawn into the rope that was hauling in the net as the rope wound around the winch drum.

On 24 December 1993 Train 630 struck a pedestrian in Hastings. The safety issues identified by this investigation were the lack of effective protection for pedestrians on either of two footpaths which crossed the track in the area of this accident which is a mid-city park.

[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.]

[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 Tuesday, 15 April 1997, at approximately 2120 hours the locomotive engineer of Train 537, a southbound express freight, reported that the level crossing alarms at Ellery Street level crossing at Ngaruawahia had failed to operate for the passage of the train. Fortunately, no accident occurred. Tranz Rail Limited's initial investigation on the night of the incident revealed the signal controlling the approach over the crossing had both filaments blown on the stop indication bulb. The Commission's subsequent investigation concluded that the train had passed the signal at stop.

On the return leg of a charter flight, the pilot, with three passengers on board Cessna ZK-FGV, had received clearance from Nelson Tower to taxi for runway 20. He had earlier noticed a Metro aircraft with its engines running at what appeared to be idle power. As he was turning from his parked position to enter the taxiway, he passed behind the Metro at an estimated distance of 30 metres. His aircraft began to weathercock and it became apparent that the Metro's engine power had been markedly increased.

On Sunday 19 August 2001 at about 0710, the fishing vessel "Hans" ran aground on West Head at the entrance to Tory Channel while on passage from the fishing grounds in Cook Strait to Picton. The skipper was able to transmit a mayday call before he and the 5 crew boarded the life raft. They were rescued uninjured shortly after by another vessel before the "Hans" sank. Safety issues identified included: • the inadequate watchkeeping arrangements aboard the Hans • the manning level of the "Hans" for the operation undertaken

On Saturday 12 May 2007, at 0400, northbound express freight Train 720 travelled past Seddon towards Vernon on the Main North Line without the authority of a track warrant issued from train control. The locomotive engineer did not stop on the main line at Seddon as required and obtain a new track warrant to travel beyond Seddon. Southbound Train 723 was sitting on the loop when Train 720 passed through Seddon. There were no other conflicting movements and as a result there was no damage or injury. Safety issues identified were:- • management of fatigue in train operations

Between Friday 19 October 2007 and Sunday 5 October 2008, there were 12 occurrences when wheel-bearings failed on wagons travelling on express freight trains at various locations in the North and South Island. Seven of the 12 wheel-bearing failures resulted in the affected wagon derailing, and causing a number of following wagons to also derail. The derailments caused extensive damage to the rolling stock, freight it was conveying and the rail network. On 2 occasions, molten metal from the failed wheel-bearings resulted in fires in trackside foliage and across adjacent land.

On Saturday 20 November 2005 at about 1400, the restricted limit passenger vessel Milford Sovereign, with a Master, 10 crew and 238 passengers on board, was on a cruise of Milford Sound when it was struck by a gust of wind that heeled the ship and turned it from its intended course. The Master was unable to return the ship to its original course, so decided to continue the turn initiated by the wind and took the ship through 180 onto the reciprocal of its original course and returned the ship to the inner Sound.