Inquiries & Recommendations

Ngā ketuketutanga me ngā tūtohunga

On Sunday 15 April 2001, at about 2327, the liquefied petroleum gas carrier "Boral Gas" was outbound from the terminal in Papakura Channel in Manukau Harbour with 14 crew and a licensed harbour pilot on board when it grounded in soft mud on the north side of the channel. After nearly 2 hours the ship was refloated and continued its passage. There were no injuries and the ship suffered no structural damage. The grounding resulted from the pilot losing situational awareness primarily due to 4 consecutive light beacons marking the channel being extinguished.

On Friday 23 March 2001, at 0705, Hughes 369D helicopter ZK-HMN experienced an engine flameout as the pilot applied collective control normally to arrest the helicopter’s descent. The pilot landed the helicopter in trees on a mountain slope at about 3000 feet, some 12 km northwest of Milford Sound. The pilot and the crew member on board the helicopter were uninjured.

On Thursday 15 March 2001, at about 0517, the coastal container ship "Spirit of Enterprise" was outbound from Dunedin in Otago Harbour with 11 crew on board under the control of its pilot exempt master, when it sheered violently to port turning through 180 degrees in the channel at Deborah Bend. The master took the ship back to the swinging basin off Port Chalmers where tests of the steering machinery were carried out. Finding no faults, the master resumed the outward passage but again the vessel sheered at Deborah Bend, this time touching the channel side.

On Friday, 9 March 2001 at 0922, ZK-RCA, a Fairchild SA227-AC Metro III operating as NZ 2703 from Auckland, struck a flock of birds on landing at Tauranga Aerodrome. During the ground roll the left-hand engine failed and the aircraft was brought to a halt to complete the engine shutdown checklist. While taxiing to the terminal the right-hand engine spooled down. The 16 passengers were disembarked and the aircraft was towed to the terminal. ZK-RCA’s left-hand engine was replaced and the aircraft returned to service after 3 days. There were no injuries.

On Friday 9 March 2001, at about 0725, the tug "Nautilus III" was towing the laden hopper barge H7 in Auckland Harbour when the barge took a sheer to starboard. The tug skipper manoeuvred the tug in an attempt to arrest the sheer but the tug was girted, capsized, and sank. The skipper of the tug swam clear and was not injured. The main factors contributing to the accident were the short length of the towline in use, the set-up of the towline and the compromise of the watertight integrity of the tug. Safety issues identified included:

On Wednesday 7 March 2001 at about 2233 Train 531, a southbound express freight train collided with the rear of Train 547, another southbound express freight service which had stalled on the Mokoia Bank between Whareroa and Mokoia on the Marton to New Plymouth Line. Train 531 had entered the section and was going to assist Train 547 when the collision occurred. The locomotive engineer of Train 547 had not protected the rear of his disabled train to warn the locomotive engineer of Train 531 as he approached. Safety issues identified included:

This report examines 6 track heat buckle incidents that occurred in different localities throughout New Zealand in the summer of 2000/2001, 5 of which resulted in derailments. Safety issues identified by these incidents included: • the need for training of track staff to ensure they recognise and respond to visible track defects • the possible need to protect continuous welded rail, formed at an unknown neutral temperature, during hot weather • the need to control tamping and lining to ensure track is not realigned leaving increased compressive stress in the rails

[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 2218 on Friday, 23 February 2001, northbound Train 144 struck a derailed wagon while passing southbound Train 237 between Pukekohe and Paerata on the North Island Main Trunk line. The incident occurred when a PK wagon conveying containers on Train 237 became derailed at Paerata as a result of a wheel bearing failure. The LE of Train 237 had seen sparks coming from the middle of his train and suspected a possible dragging brake rod. He was unaware of the derailment and proceeded slowly from Paerata towards Pukekohe where he intended to stop and inspect his train.

At about 0750 on 13 February 2001, the crew were performing a lifeboat launching drill shortly after the vessel "Nicolai Maersk" arrived in Auckland. While attempting to return the port lifeboat from the boat deck level to its stow position, the davit winch motor repeatedly tripped on overload. In order to stow the lifeboat, the davit arms were raised by manually closing the contactor located in the lifeboat winch starter box one deck below, to operate the winch motor. Manual closing of the contactor had the effect of bypassing the safety stop limit switches.

On Monday 12 February 2001, at about 1115, jet boat "Shotover 6" was proceeding down Shotover River at about 75 km/h with the driver and 10 passengers on board, when the engine suddenly stopped. As a result the driver lost steerage of the boat and it continued for about another 50 m before colliding with rocks and overhanging trees on the riverbank. One passenger suffered moderate injuries and the driver and other passengers suffered minor bruising. The boat was slightly damaged. The exact cause of the engine failure was not established. Safety issues identified included:

On Thursday 25 January 2001 at about 0945, the commercial jet boat "Huka Jet 3", with a driver and 10 passengers on board, was proceeding at about 60 km/h into the area known as the "Second Tunnel" on Lake Aratiatia on the Waikato River near Taupo, when the extreme right rear of the boat struck a rock on the riverbank. The impact slewed the boat to the right and despite the driver’s efforts to regain control, the boat climbed the riverbank and came to rest among the trees within the tunnel area. Four of the passengers were severely injured and 4 others received minor injuries.