Inquiries & Recommendations

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On 31 October 1994 the Locomotive Engineer on Train 776, a northbound express freight operated by New Zealand Rail Limited (NZRL) advised Train Control that he was at Oaro, and in response to the question from the Train Control Officer, cancelled the track warrant he held to Oaro. A southbound passenger train, Train 701, arrived at Oaro to cross 776, but 776 was not there. Subsequently it was discovered that 776 was at Claverley, some 12 kilometres south of Oaro. A track warrant was issued for 701 to continue southwards.

On 29 October 1994 at about 1000 hours, Aerospatiale AS 350B ZK-HWV collided with a valley side during a local scenic flight, killing all seven occupants. While no cause was established positively, it is probable the aircraft was flown into cloud inadvertently. A safety issue which prompted a safety recommendation to the Civil Aviation Authority was the absence of standards to guide pilots in setting height margins beneath cloud.

At approximately 1351 hours on Tuesday 11 October 1994 an AS350B helicopter, ZK-HZP, flew into the sea near Needle Rock, 10 nm north-east of Whitianga. Two of the five passengers lost their lives in the accident and the pilot received serious injuries. The safety issues discussed include the hazards associated with hydraulic jack stall, and the necessity for pilots to make sound command decisions appropriate to air transport operations.

At 1615 hours on 5 October 1994 a pedestrian walking on the track near Woburn Station in the Hutt Valley was struck and fatally injured by a suburban passenger train.

An Embraer EMB-110P1 (Bandeirante) ZK-KIP, while approaching Auckland International Airport on the evening of 28 September 1994, experienced an undercarriage malfunction. The right main wheel could not be lowered by either normal or emergency means, and the aircraft was subsequently landed "wheels-up" at 1949 hours without injury to either of the two crew members on board. A safety issue identified was post-maintenance inspection.

[Report for overseas State. Direct any inquiries for a copy of the report to the Minister of Transport of that State.]

At 1455 hours on 7 September 1994, Train 402, the Rotorua to Auckland "Geyserland Express" collided with a truck on a private farm access crossing, resulting in the death of the truck driver. No specific safety issues were identified.

At approximately 1115 hours on 25 August 1994 an airmiss occurred between a Boeing 737 airliner on approach to Dunedin Airport and a Cessna 152 operating from Taieri Aerodrome. It was recommended that the vertical and horizontal airspace boundaries to the southwest of Taieri Aerodrome be modified to improve separation between uncontrolled VFR traffic and controlled IFR traffic on approach to Dunedin Airport.

On 25 August 1994 as Cessna A185E, ZK-JEM slowed following a beach landing, the left undercarriage leg collapsed. Initial looseness of the leg attachment bolt or loss of torque in service was likely to have reduced the integrity of the undercarriage assembly. [Includes addendum]

[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.]

[Report for overseas State. Direct any inquiries for a copy of the report to the Minister of Transport of that State.]

[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.]