Executive summary
A student on his first solo cross country lost control of the aircraft and it collided with the terrain. The pilot lost his life in the accident.
Related Recommendations
Review the requirements for the restraint of first aid kits to ensure they will be securely held but still accessible in a survivable accident.
Review the information on the Christchurch Visual Terminal Chart in relation to the upper and lower limits of the northern boundary of the eastern segment of the Christchurch TMA to make it clear that the one arc defines a boundary of two areas with different lower levels.
Make it clear to ATS staff that the controller with whom the pilot first makes contact should confirm that the pilot was aware of relevant hazardous weather reports, or the manual of Air Traffic Services should be amended to reflect the current policy in conjunction with a similar amendment to the NZAIP Planning Manual.
Promulgate safety advice on the necessity to retrieve loose, small and/or lost articles from the cockpits of aircraft, particularly those used for training and aerobatics.
Review the requirements for positioning of "crash" axes in light aircraft to improve the likelihood of them being accessible tot he pilot in the event of the cockpit area being distorted in a survivable accident.