Inquiries & Recommendations

Ngā ketuketutanga me ngā tūtohunga

The pilot and passenger departed from Paraparaumu in ZK-FTO for a flight to Nelson and return. The pilot reported to Nelson Tower crossing through French Pass. No further communications were received. The aircraft was seen and heard by residents of D'Urville Island flying in low cloud and reduced visibility. The sound of an impact prompted a ground search but due to the poor weather the wreckage of ZK-FTO was not located until the following morning. Neither occupant had survived the impact and ensuing intense fire.

On Wednesday 19 August 1998, Cessna 402C aeroplane ZK-VAC was on a scheduled flight from Stewart Island to Invercargill when both engines failed. After the successful ditching in Foveaux Strait five passengers were rescued, but three passengers and the pilot, who were without lifejackets, did not survive. One passenger is missing presumed dead. The cause of the double engine failure was not conclusively established but may have been associated with systemic fuel management. Safety issues identified included:

On Monday, 20 January 1997, at about 1255 a jet boat carrying ten passengers plus the driver, and a substantial amount of water in the cockpit, was proceeding up the Ngaawapurua (Fulljames) "Rapid", when it lost engine power, took on more water and foundered in the rapid. The 11 occupants escaped to the river bank uninjured. Causes included the driver's failure to notice the substantial amount of water in the cockpit which affected the performance of the boat, reduced the freeboard and caused the engine to stop.

On the morning of 30 March 1994, ZK-DZB, a Fletcher FU24-950M, stalled in a turn at low level after the pilot apparently aborted a sowing run. The aircraft entered an incipient spin and struck the ground in a steep nose-down attitude. The pilot was fatally injured and the aircraft destroyed.

New Zealand has completed its support for this inquiry. TAIC will not be producing a report on this inquiry. A copy of the report produced by the ATSB can be found on the link in the sidebar to the right.

On Friday 12 January and Thursday 18 January 1996, Metroliners ZK-POB and ZK-SDA respectively were involved in runway excursions after the pilot flying engaged the nosewheel steering during their landing runs. No injuries were sustained in either event and the damage to the aircraft was minor. The causal factors identified were a malfunction of the nosewheel steering system and the pilots' perseverance with the use of an aircraft system which was unserviceable.

On Friday 15 March 2002, at about 0945, ZK-HIC, a Schweizer 269C helicopter, lost tail rotor authority during a low-level spraying run. Normal helicopter control was lost and the pilot, unable to arrest the ensuing spin, carried out an emergency landing. The pilot, the only occupant, was uninjured. A defective tail rotor driveshaft aft bumper plug permitted the driveshaft to disengage its drive coupling to the tail rotor gearbox.

On Sunday 18 September 2005, the "Milford Mariner" was on a cruise of Milford Sound with the Master, 9 crew and 56 passengers on board. At about 1438, both of the ship’s main propulsion engines stalled and just as they were restarted the ship ran aground.

[A preliminary investigation showed that the circumstances were not likely to have significant implications for transport safety. Consistent with section 13 of the TAIC Act the Commission discontinued the investigation and no report was published.]

The ship was entering Milford Sound in the dark. The pilot lost awareness and bridge crew did not alert him or use on-board navigation gear correctly. The ship hit a stony bank causing light damage to the hull, no injuries. Safety issues related to electronic navigation use; standard of bridge resource management; and risk management of blind pilotage. The operator and Environment Southland have both taken actions since. Two previous recommendations were repeated, and a new one made.

On Wednesday 12 March 1997, at 0032 hours, Boeing 747-419 ZK-NBU was enroute from Auckland to Los Angeles as Flight NZ18. The Captain's electronic primary flight display no longer displayed flight reference information and appeared blank. An internal failure within the brake system control unit, due to water ingress, in turn caused a fault with the inertial reference unit data bus supplying information to the Captain's display. An alternate inertial reference unit was selected and it failed to supply the required information.

On Friday 31 August 2001 at about 1440, the commercial jet boat "Shotover 21" was proceeding down Shotover River at about 60 km/h with the driver and 11 passengers on board, when the engine stopped suddenly. With no propulsion the driver lost directional control of the boat and it continued in a straight line for some 60 m before colliding with a rock face at about 30 km/h. Five of the passengers suffered serious injuries, the other passengers suffered minor injuries and the driver was unhurt. The boat was extensively damaged.