Inquiries & Recommendations

Ngā ketuketutanga me ngā tūtohunga

At about 1055 on Monday 8 January 2001, a collision occurred at Makikihi Beach Road level crossing between passenger express Train 901 Southerner and a loaded stock truck and trailer unit. The truck had cleared the level crossing but the trailer was only halfway across when the train collided with it and derailed. Two of the train crew and 3 passengers were seriously injured and 24 passengers suffered minor injuries as a result of the collision. A factor contributing to the collision was the failure of the truck driver to give way to Train 901.

At about 1150 on Thursday 28 December 2000, a diesel multiple unit Train 3134 collided head on with another diesel multiple unit Train 3130 on the up main line between Penrose and Ellerslie. Train 3130 had become disabled at Ellerslie and with the assistance of a relief diesel multiple unit was setting back to Penrose in a wrong line running movement on the up main line.

On Tuesday 19 December 2000, at about 1700, Piper PA28-140 ZK-CIK departed from Forest Field aerodrome near Christchurch on a return scenic flight. On board the aeroplane were the pilot and 2 passengers. After circling several properties near Waiau in North Canterbury, the aeroplane was last seen at about 1745 heading in the direction of Hanmer Springs. At about 2100 the aeroplane was reported overdue to Police.

On Thursday 14 December 2000, at 1804, Piper PA23-250D Aztec ZK-DIR landed at Gisborne Aerodrome. Shortly after landing its nose undercarriage leg collapsed aft. The pilot and 4 passengers on board the aircraft were uninjured. Nothing conclusive was found showing why the undercarriage leg collapsed. Three scenarios are discussed as possible causes. The more likely possible cause was that play in the drag strut bushes somehow contributed to a mechanical down lock malfunction, but this could not be replicated during testing. No safety issues were identified.

[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 0400 on Friday 8 December 2000, Train 828, a northbound express freight train, passed Signal 212 at Middleton at "Stop" and collided head-on with departing southbound express freight Train 951. Three locomotive crew members received minor injuries. The locomotive on each train and a number of wagons were extensively damaged. Safety issues identified included the control of locomotive engineers hours of duty, fatigue management and the ability of the locomotive vigilance system to overcome short-term attention deficits in time to prevent this type of collision.

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

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

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

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

[No report published - TAIC asked to assist investigation by National Transportation Safety Board USA into the incident.]

On Sunday, 26 November 2000 at about 0105, Train 540, the northbound Longburn to Whareroa milk train, derailed near Kai Iwi while rounding a curve about 25 km/h faster than the authorised and posted curve speed of 50 km/h. Ten full milk-tanker wagons left the track and came to rest in a gully below, disgorging a large volume of milk. There were no injuries. The reason for the excessive speed in the curve was the locomotive engineer losing situational awareness during a microsleep.