Inquiries & Recommendations

Ngā ketuketutanga me ngā tūtohunga

[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.]

The helicopter was engaged in an aerial survey of Central Electric's distribution system. The pilot and technician conducting the survey, which utilised GPS equipment to pinpoint individual power pole positions, were accompanied by a line surveyor from the local electrical supply authority who acted as a guide and supplementary lookout. During the course of mapping a roadside 11kV line, the helicopter collided with the Roxburgh-Islington A 220kV line. The reactive forces of the rotor strike tore the transmission and engine from the airframe.

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.

During take-off on aerotow the competitor had difficulty in holding station behind the tug so the instructor released from tow and re-circuited to land behind the towplane. After landing the towplane turned right and blocked the glider's landing roll path causing the two aircraft to collide (see also 90-081)

On Friday 9 April 2010, ZK-EAQ, a Beechcraft 1900D aeroplane, departed from Auckland International Airport. As the aeroplane became airborne the rear cargo door opened. The crew returned and landed the aeroplane safely. There were no injuries and minor damage only to the aeroplane.

At about 1600 on Saturday, 11 October 1997, the Wellington Coastguard rigid inflatable craft "UDC Rescue" was engaged on a routine patrol near the entrance to Wellington Harbour, when the craft suffered a failure of the bags that secured the buoyancy bladders to the hull, resulting in two of the four bladders separating from the craft. Two crew were transferred to an assisting vessel and the skipper and one remaining crew member were able to beach the craft without further damage. Nobody was injured in the incident.

After touchdown at the conclusion of an evening scenic flight the aircraft veered off the private strip. The pilot was unable to regain directional control and the aircraft ground-looped, coming to rest in an adjacent ditch. The cause was not established. Unexpected deflation of the right main wheel tyre, or the effect of an isolated wind gust, were the most likely possibilities.

On Friday, 17 May 1996, at about 0845 hours, a truck and semi-trailer travelling east on Kirk Road, Templeton moved over the level crossing and stopped to gain entry to State Highway 1 with the semi-trailer foul of the railway line. The Southerner passenger express collided with the rear of the semi-trailer unit. There were no injuries. The cause was insufficient stacking room between the level crossing and the adjacent parallel State Highway.

On Thursday, 14 September 1995 at about 2252 hours a collision occurred between two motor vessels off the Port of Tauranga. A harbour pilot and one trainee pilot had just disembarked the outbound "MV Washington" and were proceeding out to board the inbound "MV Han Tao He" when the two vessels collided. Damage to the "Han Tao He" was substantial. Causal factors included non-compliance with the International Collision Regulations and the standard of bridge resource management.

New Zealand has completed its support for this inquiry. Please note: TAIC will not be producing a report for this inquiry.

On Saturday 31 August 2002 at about 1515, Train 9351, a Tranz Metro Johnsonville to Wellington electric multiple unit passenger service collided with Train 3647, a Tranz Metro Upper Hutt to Wellington electric multiple unit passenger service, as both trains were approaching the Wellington platforms on converging tracks. There were no injuries to passengers or crew and only minor damage to the trains. The safety issues identified included the well-being of the electric multiple unit driver of Train 9351 and his resulting capacity to recognise and respond to a danger signal indication.

At about 1600 hours on Saturday 21 October 1995, ZK-DRC took off from Big Bay for Alexandra. The pilot owned the aircraft and had flown it from Alexandra to Big Bay earlier in the afternoon to pick up his son and a friend who had spent the previous week whitebaiting. The aircraft did not arrive at Alexandra. A searching helicopter located the wreckage of ZK-DRC the next morning, near the Fohn Saddle at an elevation of about 4760 feet amsl. The aircraft had stalled onto a snow terrace. The three occupants had been killed. No conclusive explanation for the accident was established.