Crash of a Cessna 207 Skywagon in Milford Sound: 6 killed

Date & Time: Jan 19, 2002 at 1000 LT
Operator:
Registration:
ZK-SEV
Flight Phase:
Survivors:
No
Site:
Schedule:
Te Anau - Milford Sound
MSN:
207-0204
YOM:
1971
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
1
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
5
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
6
Captain / Total flying hours:
635
Captain / Total hours on type:
13.00
Circumstances:
On Saturday, 19 January 2002, at 0931, ZK-SEV, a Cessna 207, took off from Te Anau Aerodrome for Milford Sound Aerodrome. At about 1000 the aircraft collided with the side of a mountainous valley, approximately 4400 feet above sea level and 500 metres southeast of Gertrude Saddle, some 11 kilometres from Milford Sound. The pilot and 5 passengers on board died in the collision. The aircraft probably had not reached a suitable altitude to safely cross over Gertrude Saddle, and the pilot probably left his decision too late to turn back in the valley in order to gain more height.
Probable cause:
Findings:
Findings and safety recommendations are listed in order of development and not in order of priority.
- The pilot was appropriately qualified, fit and authorised to conduct the flight.
- The aircraft records indicated the aircraft was properly maintained and airworthy. The aircraft was appropriate for the purpose and was approved for air transport operations.
- The weather conditions were suitable for the flight.
- The aircraft was probably too low to safely cross Gertrude Saddle, and the pilot probably elected to use his escape option of a left reverse turn after recognising that he would be unable to safely cross the saddle. This was left too late to safely complete the manoeuvre.
- Had the aircraft reached a suitable height to safely cross Gertrude Saddle prior to entering Gertrude Valley, the accident may have been averted.
- The pilot may have misjudged the strength of the tailwind and thus the aircraft ground speed, and the strength of any downdraughts, as he approached Gertrude Saddle. Consequently, the
closing speed with the saddle and the low height of the aircraft may have caught the pilot by surprise.
- The pilot’s delayed action in initiating a reverse turn away from Gertrude Saddle was probably a prime contributing factor to the accident.
- Pilot inexperience may have contributed to the accident.
- The current aeroplane pilot training requirements are not sufficient to ensure pilots are suitably equipped to handle the demanding flying challenges that mountainous environments can present.
Final Report:

Crash of a Cessna 207 Skywagon in Milford Sound: 7 killed

Date & Time: Dec 30, 1989 at 1532 LT
Operator:
Registration:
ZK-DQF
Flight Phase:
Survivors:
No
Site:
Schedule:
Milford Sound - Queenstown
MSN:
207-0053
YOM:
1969
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
1
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
6
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
7
Captain / Total flying hours:
455
Captain / Total hours on type:
4.00
Circumstances:
Two Cessna 207 Skywagon of Air Fiordland (ZK-DQF) and Milford Sound Scenic Flights (ZK-DAX) were engaged in a charter flight from Milford Sound to Queenstown, carrying Japanese tourists. On board ZK-DQF were six passengers and one pilot and four passengers and one pilot on board ZK-DAX. En route, while cruising over the Milford Sound area, both aircraft collided. While the pilot of ZK-DAX was able to perform an emergency landing, ZK-DQF entered a dive and crashed, killing all seven occupants. All five people on board ZK-DAX were rescued but both aircraft were destroyed.
Probable cause:
The mid-air collision occurred because neither pilot saw the other aircraft in time. Causal factors were the pilot's restricted cockpit vision, a lack of pilot awareness to maintain an effective look-out; the unnecessarily high density of traffic and the unplanned merging of two streams of aircraft after a weather deterioration necessitated a change in route after departure.
Final Report:

Crash of a Cessna 207 Skywagon in Milford Sound

Date & Time: Dec 30, 1989 at 1532 LT
Operator:
Registration:
ZK-DAX
Flight Phase:
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Schedule:
Milford Sound - Queenstown
MSN:
207-0131
YOM:
1969
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
1
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
4
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Captain / Total flying hours:
1120
Captain / Total hours on type:
718.00
Circumstances:
Two Cessna 207 Skywagon of Air Fiordland (ZK-DQF) and Milford Sound Scenic Flights (ZK-DAX) were engaged in a charter flight from Milford Sound to Queenstown, carrying Japanese tourists. On board ZK-DQF were six passengers and one pilot and four passengers and one pilot on board ZK-DAX. En route, while cruising over the Milford Sound area, both aircraft collided. While the pilot of ZK-DAX was able to perform an emergency landing, ZK-DQF entered a dive and crashed, killing all seven occupants. All five people on board ZK-DAX were rescued but both aircraft were destroyed.
Probable cause:
The mid-air collision occurred because neither pilot saw the other aircraft in time. Causal factors were the pilot's restricted cockpit vision, a lack of pilot awareness to maintain an effective look-out; the unnecessarily high density of traffic and the unplanned merging of two streams of aircraft after a weather deterioration necessitated a change in route after departure.
Final Report:

Crash of a Britten-Norman BN-2A-26 Islander near Milford Sound: 10 killed

Date & Time: Aug 8, 1989 at 1035 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
ZK-EVK
Flight Phase:
Survivors:
No
Site:
Schedule:
Wanaka - Milford Sound
MSN:
583
YOM:
1977
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
1
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
9
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
10
Captain / Total flying hours:
1063
Captain / Total hours on type:
12.00
Aircraft flight hours:
8350
Circumstances:
The twin engine aircraft was completing an on-demand scenic flight from Wanaka to Milford Sound, carrying nine tourists and one pilot. En route, in unknown circumstances, the aircraft crashed on the Blue Duck Glacier located near Milford Sound. The wreckage was found few hours later at the altitude of 5,400 feet. All 10 occupants were killed.
Probable cause:
The lack of direct evidence to account, operationally or structurally, for the manner in which the aircraft struck the mountain slope, the remoteness of the site which provided no witness observation to describe the aircraft’s flight path prior to the event and the absence of any survivor, combined to preclude a determination of the accident’s probable cause.
Final Report:

Crash of a De Havilland DH.89B Dominie in Milford Sound

Date & Time: Apr 22, 1964
Operator:
Registration:
ZK-BAU
Flight Phase:
Survivors:
Yes
MSN:
6654
YOM:
1943
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
1
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
2
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
At liftoff, the airplane went out of control and struck the runway surface before coming to rest. All three occupants were evacuated safely while the aircraft was considered as damaged beyond repair.

Crash of a De Havilland DH.90A Dragonfly in New Zealand: 5 killed

Date & Time: Feb 12, 1962
Registration:
ZK-AFB
Flight Phase:
Survivors:
No
Site:
Schedule:
Christchurch – Milford Sound
MSN:
7560
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
1
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
4
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
5
Circumstances:
The twin engine departed Christchurch Airport at 09h52 on a sightseeing flight to Milford Sound with four tourists and one pilot on board. The ETA at Milford Sound was schedules at 1237LT. As the aircraft failed to arrive at destination, SAR operations were conducted but eventually suspended few days later as no trace of the airplane nor the five occupants was found.
Crew:
Brian Geoffrey Chadwic.
Passengers:
Darrell Stanley Sheils,
Louis Rowan, Elwyn Saville,
Valerie Gay Saville.
Probable cause:
Due to lack of evidence, the cause of the accident could not be determined.