Inquiries & Recommendations

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On Sunday, 17 November 2002, at about 2353, Train 526, a Palmerston North to New Plymouth express freight service overran its track warrant limit at Waitotara by about 1.5 km. The incident occurred when the locomotive engineer did not identify and stop at the limit of his track warrant authority but continued on into the next section. There was no opposing traffic. The major contribution factor to the incident was the probability that the locomotive engineer lost concentration and situational awareness, which supported a misperception of the limits of the track warrant he held.

ZK-FKF was the second in a loose formation of three microlight aircraft which had taken off from Pikes Point Aerodrome, to fly to Raglan. While the formation was flying over the Manukau Harbour, parallel to the north shore, the aircraft was seen to dutch roll, then pitch nose-down. The right wing folded at about one-third span, and the aircraft fell into the sea, killing the pilot.

On 2 January 2009 the Government of the Republic of Vanuatu requested assistance from New Zealand in the investigation of a fatal air accident that had occurred on 19 December 2008. The request was approved and on 21 January 2009 a Transport Accident Investigation Commission investigator arrived in Vanuatu. An engineering specialist joined the team 3 days later.

There was a fire in the cargo hold of the Kokopo Chief while berthed at the Port of Tauranga. An alarm alerted the crew to smoke in one of the cargo holds and they activated the fire extinguishing system. The main cargo on the ship was understood to have been dressed timber. Deck containers with dangerous goods were removed. There were no reported injuries. [As initially reported, subject to change, not official findings.]

On Wednesday 2 October 2002 at 1215, ZK-HRC, a Bell 206B JetRanger III helicopter, was positioning to uplift passengers for a local scenic flight. Approaching to land at the Huka Falls landing pad, the pilot reported a loss of engine power. The pilot managed to fly the helicopter onto the landing pad, where it slid across the pad and over the edge, rolling on to its side. The 2 occupants received minor scratches and bruising. The helicopter was extensively damaged. The cause of the power loss was not determined. No new 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 1400 on 25 September 2008, a tour group of 22 non-English speaking overseas tourists, with a driver, departed the Queenstown Main Town Pier on what was intended to be a typical one hour jet boat excursion on the Shotover River. During the return journey the jet boat touched a sand bar at the meeting of the Shotover and Kawarau Rivers and rolled over coming to rest upside down. One passenger was trapped and drowned under the upturned boat, one other passenger suffered moderate injuries, while five other passengers suffered minor injuries. The boat received superficial damage.

The skipper of the "Doctor Hook" made a distress call. Some of the passengers on board the "Doctor Hook" were initially transferred to the "Quickcat" for medical care and then to a Police boat. The others and the skipper were treated on board the "Doctor Hook," transferring to a Coastguard boat before they were all transported ashore for hospital treatment.

The standard of bridge resource management and unfamiliarity with the ship’s electronic navigation equipment were factors in a January 2017 grounding of a cruise ship at the Snares Islands south of New Zealand. While the master focused on recovering boats from a shoreline excursion, the ship inadvertently entered the 300-metre zone that the ship was not permitted to enter. It struck an uncharted rock, the hull was pierced and an empty void space flooded. No passengers or crew were injured.

The Enchanter, a charter fishing vessel on a five-day trip from Mangōnui to the Three Kings Islands with eight passengers and two crew, was struck by a large steep wave on the evening of 20 March 2022 while returning toward Murimotu Island. The impact rolled the vessel onto its side, causing the superstructure to break away and the vessel to capsize. The Emergency Position-Indicating Radio Beacon alerted the Rescue Coordination Centre, prompting a major search and rescue response. Of the ten people on board, only five survived; they were rescued from the upturned hull and debris, while the remaining five were recovered after a two-day search operation.

The helicopter's engine was heard misfiring and subsequently the aircraft was seen descending rapidly. A plume of smoke indicated that an accident had occurred. The pilot was assisted from the burning wreckage but succumbed to his injuries later in the day.

ZK-HOP failed to return to base from a deer hunting sortie the previous day. The wreckage of ZK-HOP was located at the bush line below a steep tussock and scrub covered slope. A prominent gouge mark had been made in the slope further up, by the main rotor blades. The shooter had been thrown from the helicopter as it descended. The pilot was found lying beside the helicopter. Both occupants had died from injuries received in the accident.