Inquiries & Recommendations

Ngā ketuketutanga me ngā tūtohunga

While attempting to land at Tiraora Lodge the pilot was dazzled by low sun and elected to overshoot. The aircraft made a low turn to avoid high ground, struck a telephone wire and descended out of control into the sea. The pilot and five passengers were rescued but suffered varying degrees of injury.

On 12 October 1993 a pedestrian who moved on to the track between Papanui and Belfast as a passenger train approached was struck and mortally injured. No specific issues of public safety were identified in the investigation.

On Thursday, 4 April 1996, at approximately 2015 hours, when the high speed passenger ferry "Strait Runner" was outbound from Mana, she was hit by strong winds associated with a heavy rain squall, causing the vessel to ground on a gravel bank outside the main channel. The vessel sustained damage to her three propellers. Factors contributing to the grounding included a loss of situational awareness by the Master. A safety issue identified was the inadequacy of the harbour navigation aids for "Strait Runner"to depart at night.

[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 30 April 1994 a motorist attempted to cross the railway line alongside the level crossing at Halcombe. His vehicle "bottomed" on the tracks. He failed to leave the vehicle before the approaching train collided with it some five minutes later. The motorist was killed in the collision.

[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 aircraft had departed Napier during the morning for a 90 minute round trip scenic flight to Mt Ruapehu. The aircraft failed to return. ELT signals led to discovery of the wreckage, in the afternoon, at the head of a blind valley. The aircraft had collided with trees in a manner consistent with a deliberate attempt by the pilot to minimise the effect of impact on the occupants. The circumstances suggested that neither of the rear seat passengers were wearing their lapstraps. The co-pilot and one of the rear passengers were dead when the first rescuer reached the aircraft.

TAIC supported a preliminary investigation by the Isle of Man into a missing-person incident aboard the Isle of Man-registered bulk carrier Berge Rishiri. The crew member was last seen at 0800 on 29 August 2022 after completing duty in the engine room and failed to report for their next shift at 1600, prompting an onboard search assisted by another vessel and a rescue helicopter. The ship was outside New Zealand’s 12-nautical-mile limit, so New Zealand is gathering evidence on behalf of the flag state under the IMO Casualty Investigation Code.

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.]

In November 2016, the bulk carrier New Legend Pearl was about 125km east of Coromandel. A crew member working on a crane jib was changing his safety harness securing point when he fell 8 metres to the deck below. Paramedics helicoptered to the ship but were unable to revive him and he died from his injuries. Working at height is risky, so all crew should use suitable safety harnesses correctly.

In the course of a go-around after touchdown, the aircraft struck a fence and a water filled bath tub at the end of the strip. Fearing airframe damage the pilot abandoned the go-around and landed the aircraft straight ahead on its remaining undercarriage leg.