AO-1994-016 Sikorsky S55B ZK-HSS, engine failure at low level, Te Apiti Valley, 14 July 1994

On 14 July 1994, Sikorsky S-55B ZK-HSS was engaged in aerial spraying in the Te Apiti Valley, 6 NM east of Elsthorpe, Hawkes Bay. The engine lost power at low level, necessitating a forced landing during which the helicopter caught fire and was burned out. The pilot escaped without injury.