Executive summary
On 27 November 2006, about 8 minutes after departing Wellington airport on a scheduled flight to Kaikoura with one passenger, the pilot of a Gippsland Aeronautics GA8 aircraft, registered ZK-KLC, felt the engine misfire and saw that the oil pressure had reduced. The pilot immediately returned to Wellington and made a safe landing.
The engine had major internal damage, which the evidence indicated had started with the failure of an exhaust valve tappet. The cause of the tappet failure was not determined.
A safety issue was identified with regard to the risk of ditching that was associated with over-water air transport operations with single-engine aircraft. A safety recommendation was made to the Director of Civil Aviation regarding operator compliance with life raft rules.
Related Recommendations
Inspect all air transport operators of single-engine aircraft to establish their means of ensuring compliance with Civil Aviation Rule 135.87, "Flights over water".