Inquiries & Recommendations

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Severe "sink" experienced during an approach to a high level landing site resulted in a collision with terrain of Aerospatiale AS 350B helicopter ZK-HNH near the summit of Mt Fyffe, 12 km north-west of Kaikoura on 1 February 1993. The safety issues discussed in the report are: the ineffectiveness of the local wind indicators, the inaccessibility of the mountain survival gear carried in the aircraft and the need to develop local contingency plans for aviation emergencies in the Kaikoura area.

The pilot was to fly the helicopter between two homesteads on a large property. Some two hours after his departure signals from an emergency location transmitter were received and the wreckage of the aircraft was located two hours later. The pilot lost his life in the accident. No cause was established for the accident.

A Hughes 269C helicopter ZK-HOB collided with power conductors near Hokitika on 13 December 1992. The safety issues discussed in the report are: the need for the Civil Aviation Authority and the New Zealand Police to have the authority to require any person to undergo the appropriate tests to determine if alcohol or drugs may have affected their ability to fly an aircraft, and the need for compliance with the Flight Manual requirement for a shoulder harness to be available for the centre seat passenger of Hughes/Schweizer 269 series helicopters.

An airmiss occurred involving a formation of RNZAF Skyhawk aircraft and an Embraer 110 Bandeirante aircraft during Air Expo 92 at Auckland International Airport on 21 November 1992.

ZK-PTS was on a private flight from Hastings to Ardmore via Hamilton, in company with another aircraft of the same type. The weather between Hawkes Bay and Taupo was overcast with a variable base, and scattered rain showers. Northwest of Napier the pilots found their intended route obscured by rain shower. The pilot of ZK-PTS declared his intention to climb above the cloud while his colleague elected to continue circling awaiting an improvement in the weather. The pilot of ZK-PTS subsequently reported his position at 5800 feet on the 283 radial from Napier and climbing.

This report relates to a loss of control due to the ingestion of a foreign object by the rotor of Westland Wasp NZ3094 at Taupo Aerodrome on 20 November 1992. The safety issues discussed in the report are the improvement of facilities and inspections at Taupo Airport to enhance the safety of helicopter operations. Certification of Aerodromes by the Civil Aviation Authority, CAA advice to aerodrome operators, the promulgation of information on legislation relating to civil aerodromes to military pilots and the inspection of civil aerodromes by military flight safety teams.

The historic fighter aircraft was being flown from Wanaka to Auckland to take part in an Air Display. A brief landing was planned at Woodbourne to refuel. The pilot made a standard approach to grass runway 07 with allowance for the light crosswind. Shortly after a normal touchdown, an unexpected gust caused a swing to the right. Braking action was uneffective on the wet grass and the pilot applied power for a go-around, but the aircraft slid sideways and the left undercarriage collapsed at the edge of the asphalt taxiway which crossed the grass runway at right angles.

ZK-KID, a high performance homebuilt design, was owned and operated by the pilot who had constructed the aircraft himself. He had flown to Alexandra to attend a Chapter meeting of the NZ Amateur Aircraft Constructors Association. A "mini-competition" was held to round off the afternoon's activities. Part of the set exercises involved flying a figure eight pattern at 500 feet above aerodrome level. During the second half of this manoeuvre ZK-KID was observed to lose height while turning from a downwind heading to crosswind at a steep angle of bank.

The aircraft, with one passenger on board, had landed at Wellington Airport at the conclusion of a scheduled flight from Koromiko Aerodrome. While taxing from the runway to the terminal the aircraft was blown over by a strong wind gust, coming to rest inverted. The pilot and passenger were uninjured. A northwesterly gust of 42 knots was recorded at about the time of the mishap.

The pilot hired the two seat aircraft for a local flight with the intention of flying over Glenbrook where his passenger lived. A number of witnesses saw the aircraft flying in the area at a moderately low height and circling around. It particularly attracted attention when the engine sound was heard to change, described variously as throttled back, or stopping briefly, then increasing. The aircraft was seen to turn left from a southerly heading toward the north-east. It then went suddenly into a very steep dive while turning or twisting to the left.

The helicopter was departing for the first heliski trip of the day with a guide and four clients on board. It had reached a height of about 200 feet, and airspeed was increasing above 35 knots, when the engine failed. The pilot lowered collective, maintained forward speed and set up an autorotative descent to the large snow covered paddock below. The helicopter contacted the ground heavily, collapsing the skids, and slid some 60m in the soft snow before coming to rest upright. The occupants were uninjured.

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.