Inquiries & Recommendations

Ngā ketuketutanga me ngā tūtohunga

Distraction by cellphone and excessive speed within a speed restricted area were the major factors contributing to the fatal collision on 20 June 2008 in Waikawa Bay, Queen Charlotte Sound, of the 6 metre aluminium workboat Shikari with the stern of the moored Flightless, a 27 metre private vessel. The Shikari’s skipper and one passenger died, 3 passengers received serious injuries, and the remaining passenger suffered minor injury. Nobody was aboard the Flightless.

On Sunday 4 July 2004 at about 1517, while on passage from Chatham Islands to Napier in heavy weather, the coastal cargo vessel "Southern Tiare" lost its rudder below the rudder head. The master was able to manoeuvre the ship, using the bow thruster to maintain the ship’s head into the sea, until a tug arrived to take the ship under tow to Napier, where it berthed without further incident. The crew sustained no injuries during the incident. Safety issues identified included:

Onn 7 November 1993 the Auckland to Tauranga express passenger service (train 301) operated by New Zealand Rail Limited (NZRL) struck a car on the Bell Crossing Street level crossing in Huntly at 1920 hours. There were six young men in the car; four were killed and two seriously injured. Safety issues identified in this report were the adequacy of crossing warning measures, and road driving training.

On Friday 31 March 2006 at about 0520, the locomotive engineer of empty passenger Train 4306 noticed the air brake system operating below normal performance while driving the train between Westfield and Otahuhu at the start of operations for the day. After the train had reached Otahuhu, the locomotive engineer examined the brake system and decided to return to Westfield rather than continue passenger operations. There was no damage or injuries. Safety issues identified included: • purging of contaminants from a locomotive’s air brake piping

On Wednesday 1 November 1995, Fletcher FU24 ZK-EUG collided with the terrain during topdressing operations on Rongoio Station, 18 nm north of Wairoa. An intense fire ensued and the pilot lost his life in the accident. In-flight incapacitation of the pilot was identified as the probable cause. [As a result of the investigation of this and a previous similar accident (see Report 95-010) ] a safety recommendation pertaining to medical advice was made to the Aviation Industry Association.

On Monday 12 February 1996 at about 2240 hours, Hughes 369D helicopter ZK-HLE, on a night rescue flight, collided with trees and the ground, and caught fire. The two crew were killed. Reduced visibility in poor weather was probably a factor in the collision. The details of the flight leading to the collision were not established.

On Sunday 10 December 2006 at about 1230, the fishing vessel Santa Maria II with a skipper, 4 crew members and a Ministry of Fisheries observer on board was fishing off the Kermadec Islands in Fisheries Management Area 10 when a fire was discovered in the engine room. The skipper issued a distress message while the rest of the crew sealed the engine room and attempted to discharge fire suppressant into the engine room.

The aircraft was equipped with the aircraft manuafacturers wheel/ski undercarriage. At an indicated airspeed of 130 knots the pilot heard a loud bang accompanied by a jolt and then severe vibration, followed by another loud bang and worse vibration. Both left and right skiis had pivoted about their attachments to a position beyond the vertical, creating considerable drag. An emergency landing was carried out, and on touchdown the heels of the skiis contacted the ground which returned them to normal position facilitating a normal roll out.

On Wednesday 5 October 2005, at 1441, ZK-MCJ, an Aerospatiale Alenia ATR 72-212A, landed at Queenstown Aerodrome, where it inadvertently left the runway. On board were 47 passengers and 2 cabin crew, and 2 pilots and a maintenance engineer on the flight deck. There were no injuries, and no damage to the aeroplane.

On Thursday 9 November 2006, ZK-HUC, a Robinson R44 helicopter carrying 3 police officers and the pilot, collided with an electricity transmission line during a coastal search. The helicopter incurred minor damage and the pilot landed immediately. He subsequently twice shifted the helicopter to avoid sea damage and to facilitate recovery of the helicopter. The pilot received a serious injury but none of the passengers were injured.

On 29 August 2002, an incident occurred at Maimai when a locomotive engineer was authorised by train control to enter a section of track already occupied by a rail contractor. The locomotive engineer saw the contractor and stopped the train short of the work site.