Inquiries & Recommendations

Ngā ketuketutanga me ngā tūtohunga

On Saturday, 12 July 1997, at about 0322 hours an empty container on Train 320, a Mount Maunganui to Westfield express freight train, struck a footbridge at Puhinui, south of Auckland. The footbridge pier was badly damaged, as was a road overbridge further north, before the container fell from the train, blocking the adjacent down main. There were no injuries.

At about 1240 hours on Tuesday 1 July 1997 a loss of separation occurred between an RNZAF Airtrainer and an Eagle Air Metroliner proceeding in opposite directions five nautical miles south of Hamilton Aerodrome. The aircraft were under radar control. The Airtrainer departed from Hamilton Aerodrome following the Eagle Air Metroliner which had commenced a missed approach with a simulated engine failure. The Metroliner then turned back toward the VOR while below radar coverage, simulating an inability to clear the terrain south of Hamilton.

On Saturday, 1 February 1997, at about 1030, the restricted-limit passenger ferry "Te Waka o Kapanga", while en route from Waiheke Island to Rotoroa Island, struck rocks off the point between Little and Sandy Bays on Waiheke Island. None of the 53 passengers and four crew was injured but damage to the two rudders and propulsion systems was substantial.

On 18 June 1997, at approximately 1150 hours, Silver Fern railcar RM24 running empty to depot on the down main collided with a pedestrian who had just disembarked from an up train and was using a pedestrian level crossing to gain access to Glen Innes shopping centre. The pedestrian was killed by the collision. Safety issues identified were the rationale for determining the level of protection appropriate to particular pedestrian level crossing situations and the acceptability of subways as the only access to island station platforms.

At about 0130 hours on Wednesday 11 June 1997 ZK-KVL, a Beechcraft BE58 Baron twin-engined aircraft, on a night freight flight from Palmerston North to Christchurch, disappeared from radar. The aircraft wreckage was subsequently located in the Tararua Ranges 21 km south-east of Paraparaumu. The aircraft had struck a wooded slope at high speed in a steep spiral dive, and fragmented. The pilot was killed on impact. The aircraft had probably encountered severe in-flight icing at 10 000 feet, in the area of a convective cell, resulting in a loss of control.

[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.]

At about 1735 hours on Monday 2 June 1997 a loss of separation occurred between an RNZAF Hercules and an Eagle Air Metroliner proceeding in opposite directions on the Hamilton - Taumarunui track. The aircraft were under radar control and the Area Controller had cleared the northbound Hercules to descend from flight level 170 to 10 000 feet after the crew reported a pressurisation difficulty. The aircraft passed approximately 0.7 nm horizontally and 600 feet vertically apart.

[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 1132 hours on Thursday 15 May 1997 ten free-falling parachutists exited from Hercules NZ7002 at 10 000 feet above Whenuapai Aerodrome. The parachutists passed some miles in front and to the left of a Bandeirante aircraft transiting the area at 7000 feet. No collision occurred between the parachutists and the Bandeirante. A clearance to release the parachutists had been issued to the Hercules crew but the clearance was inappropriate due to a misunderstanding between the Air Traffic Controllers.

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.

[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.]