Aerospatiale AS 350B ZK-HZP, flew into the sea after encountering hydraulic jack stall, Needle Rock near Whitianga, 11 October 1994
Status
Closed
Occurrence Date
Report Publication Date
Jurisdiction
NZ
Legacy Inquiry Number
94-022
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.
Location
Needle Rock near Whitianga (-36.749974,175.850000) [may be approximate]