New Zealand

The pilot, sole on board, was engaged in a spraying mission in Kaikohe. The first sowing operation was completed shortly after 0700LT. While flying at low height in good weather conditions, the aircraft banked left to an angle of 45° then nosed down to 30° and crashed 500 metres from the Kaikohe Aerodrome. The aircraft was destroyed and the pilot was killed.

The day's operation commenced at about 06:30 with the student flying and the instructor operating the loader.The intention was to fly for two hours when a break would be taken in order to rest the trainee pilot, check the fuel state, and review the sowing operation so far. Shortly before 08:20 the trainee took off on what was about the twentieth sowing flight of the day. The Fletcher was loaded with 19 hundredweight (cwt) or 965 kg of lime in the hopper. The usual pattern was flown and the aircraft was positioned for a sowing run along a ridge face at about 100 feet AGL. However, on this run no lime was dropped and at about the usual commencement point for sowing the aircraft made a sharp turn to the left and flew out over level ground, away from the ridge. After turning through about 120 degrees the plane pitched nose-down suddenly and dived almost vertically into the ground. It bounced over a hedge and came to rest 10 metres beyond the initial point of impact. This was not a survivable crash. Despite the spillage of considerable fuel no fire broke out. The flying weather was calm with good visibility. Weather was not a factor in this accident.

The aircraft had been chartered to fly a German group to a number of tourist destinations in New Zealand. It had departed from Glentanner on a VFR flight to Queenstown. The flight was to include scenic flying in the Mount Cook region. A 'taxiing' call was received at 1153 hours but later attempts by Christchurch Flight Information to communicate with the aircraft were unsuccessful. Aircraft wreckage, which proved to be that of ZK-NOM, was sighted during the afternoon in a severely crevassed and pinnacled area of Franz Josef Glacier, at an elevation of 4,500 feet amsl. The crew and passengers had all sustained fatal injuries on impact.

The pilot, sole on board, was engaged in a local topdressing flight in Waimangu. Shortly after takeoff, the engine lost power. The aircraft lost height then the right wing struck a hedge and it crashed. The pilot was killed.

On final approach to Wellington Airport, the crew selected gear down but the left main gear failed to lock down. The crew decided to divert to Blenheim Airport for an emergency landing. Upon touchdown on runway 25, the left main gear collapsed and the aircraft came to rest. Both pilots escaped uninjured.

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.

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.

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.

Flight Air Freight 1 was a scheduled night freight flight between Palmerston North, Auckland and Christchurch. The crew consisted of a training captain and two new co-pilots who were to fly alternate legs as co-pilot and observer. The co-pilot’s ADI of the Convair CV-580 in question had a known intermittent defect, but had been retained in service. The aircraft’s MEL however did not permit this flight to be undertaken with an unserviceable ADI. The aircraft nevertheless departed Palmerston North and arrived at Auckland at about 20:30. It was unloaded and reloaded with 11 pallets of cargo. On the next leg, to Christchurch, the handling pilot was to be the other co-pilot. Although she had completed her type rating on the Convair 580 this was her first line flight as a crew member. The flight was cleared to taxi to runway 23 for departure. Takeoff was commenced at 21:59. The aircraft climbed to a height of approx. 400 feet when it pitched down. It entered a gradual descent until it contacted the ground 387 m beyond the end of runway 23 and 91 m left of the extended centreline. The aircraft then crashed and broke up in the tidal waters of Manukau Harbour. The aircraft disintegrated on impact and all three crew members were killed.

The student agricultural pilot was operating under the supervision of an instructor. The aircraft had just taken off and was turning in the valley to gain height in order to clear high terrain which lay between the airstrip and the sowing area. Witnesses heard the engine misfire and saw the aircraft lose height while turning to avoid some high ground, collide with the hillside, and catch fire. The pilot, sole on board, was killed. The aircraft was destroyed.