Inquiries & Recommendations

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On 10 March 2000 at about 2000, the passenger vessel "Sweet Georgia" was on a charter cruise in Wellington Harbour when a fire started in the engine room. The fire was contained by the actions of the skipper but the control cables for the engine were damaged, causing the engine to slowly manoeuvre astern. Other vessels in the vicinity were able to evacuate the 58 passengers and 4 crew without injury. The skipper remained aboard the "Sweet Georgia". The astern movement of the vessel caused it to ground on reclaimed land, where the fire service boarded and extinguished the fire.

On Thursday 9 March 2000 at about 1750 the stern trawler "Seafresh 1", with 18 crew on board, was steaming about 20 nautical miles north of the Chatham Islands when fire broke out in the switchboard. The engine-room was sealed off and the fire smothered itself. The crew were able to re-enter the engine-room about 6 hours later. There was no electrical or engine power available. While waiting for a tow, the crew discovered water on the factory deck. The crew were eventually able to locate and seal off the ingress and bail out the deck.

On Tuesday 7 March 2000, Aerospatiale AS 350BA helicopter ZK-HWK was on a local charter flight from Raglan to Mount Karioi, carrying technicians to service telecommunications equipment located on the summit. It was being flown in conditions of reduced visibility resulting from local cloud when it collided with trees and the ground, killing all 4 occupants. The time of the accident and the detail of the flight path could not be conclusively established, but the pilot may have inadvertently lost visual reference with the surface in deteriorating visibility.

At about 2000 on Wednesday 23 February 2000, Train 228, a Wellington to Auckland express freight service, passed a signal at Stop and entered Plimmerton station limits. An electric multiple unit, which had been running ahead of Train 228 and terminated at Plimmerton, was standing at the platform on the up main line ready to depart on its return journey to Wellington. Train 228 stopped about 180 metres short of colliding with the electric multiple unit. Six safety issues were identified: • the visibility of signals at authorised line speed

[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 17 December 1999, an incident occurred near Greymouth where a locomotive engineer was given permission by train control for his train to enter a section of track already occupied by a hi-rail vehicle. The driver of the hi-rail vehicle saw the train and was able to off-track in time to avert a collision.

On Saturday 18 December 1999 at about 1524 hours, ZK-HYE, a Hughes 269C helicopter, was on a private local scenic flight about 3 nautical miles north of Kawerau. Approaching to land, the helicopter struck a power line and impacted the ground nearly inverted. The pilot and 2 passengers died as a result of the accident and the resulting fire destroyed most of the helicopter. No new safety issues were identified during the investigation.

At approximately 1630 hours on Friday 17 December 1999, a rake of wagons being propelled from Fletcher Paper private siding in Mt Maunganui derailed as a result of being pushed over a derailing block. The wagons slewed from the track and crossed a public road level crossing before colliding with a building and coming to rest on the opposite side of the road. The safety deficiencies identified included: • the use of motorcycles by staff during shunting of sidings • the lack of formalisation of local speed limits • the positioning of staff during the propelling movement.

[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 approximately 1010 hours on Wednesday 24 November 1999, the Wellington to Auckland Overlander passenger express, Train 200, proceeded past a conditional stop board between Ohau and Levin without authority. Some 5 kilometres later Train 200 unexpectedly met a track maintenance gang, which had just cleared the track to allow the passage of the train. There were no injuries. The safety issues identified were: • the incomplete radio procedures for communication between locomotive engineers and track gangs working under conditional stop board protection

On Thursday 21 October 1999 at about 1810, jet boat "Shotover 14" entered the first canyon on the Upper Shotover River with the driver and 9 passengers on board, travelling at about 65 km/h. While travelling close to the left side of the canyon a component in the steering system caught on a bracket, preventing the driver from steering to the right.