Cessna 172P ZK-EWH, collision with Terrain, 16 nm east-north of Te Anau, 9 January 1998
Status
Closed
Occurrence Date
Report Publication Date
Jurisdiction
NZ
Legacy Inquiry Number
98-001
On the morning of Friday, 9 January 1998, the pilot flew Cessna 172 ZK-EWH from Queenstown to Te Anau. The aircraft took off for the return flight, with two passengers, at about 0830 hours but did not arrive at Queenstown.
Emergency location transmitter signals led to the discovery of the wreckage of ZK-EWH later in the morning. The aircraft had struck a beech-forested slope in a steeply banked attitude at an elevation of about 3300 feet, some 200 feet below a saddle between two tussock covered peaks. The pilot and passengers were killed.
A cold unstable south-westerly flow, including vigorous cumulonimbus activity and snow showers, was affecting the area at the time of the accident.
The remoteness of the site, and the absence of witness or survivor information, precluded the finding of a conclusive reason for the accident. The available evidence suggested, however, that as the result of severely reduced visibility due to heavy rain, snow, or low cloud, the pilot inadvertently approached the forested slope, and during an attempted evasive manoeuvre the aircraft collided with the trees.
Emergency location transmitter signals led to the discovery of the wreckage of ZK-EWH later in the morning. The aircraft had struck a beech-forested slope in a steeply banked attitude at an elevation of about 3300 feet, some 200 feet below a saddle between two tussock covered peaks. The pilot and passengers were killed.
A cold unstable south-westerly flow, including vigorous cumulonimbus activity and snow showers, was affecting the area at the time of the accident.
The remoteness of the site, and the absence of witness or survivor information, precluded the finding of a conclusive reason for the accident. The available evidence suggested, however, that as the result of severely reduced visibility due to heavy rain, snow, or low cloud, the pilot inadvertently approached the forested slope, and during an attempted evasive manoeuvre the aircraft collided with the trees.
Location
16 nm east-north-east of Te Anau (-45.357935,168.035889) [may be approximate]