Executive summary
On Friday 20 July 2001, at around 0450, Partenavia P68B ZK-DMA was abeam North Shore Aerodrome at 5000 feet in darkness and enroute to Whangarei, when it suffered a double engine power loss. The pilot made an emergency landing on runway 21 at North Shore Aerodrome, but the aircraft overran the end of the runway, went through a fence, crossed a road and stopped in another fence. The pilot was the only person on board the aircraft and received face and ankle injuries.
The aircraft encountered meteorological conditions conducive to engine intake icing, and ice, hail or sleet probably blocked the engine air intakes. The pilot had probably developed a mindset that dismissed icing as a cause, and consequently omitted to use alternate engine intake air, which should have restored engine power.
Safety issues identified were the need to amend the aircraft flight manual warning concerning the use of alternate engine intake air, and the need to remind pilots about the Partenavia’s in-flight vulnerability to engine air intake blockages by ice, hail, sleet and snow.
Related Recommendations
Remind company pilots about the Partenavia’s in-flight vulnerability to engine air intake blockages by sleet, ice or hail, the symptoms of any blockage, and the corrective action necessary should a blockage occur.
amend the Partenavia P68B flight manual warning concerning the use of alternate engine intake air to reflect the warning contained in the P68C manual, which is, when flying in high humidity at any air temperature, open the engine alternate air doors.