Date & Time:
Feb 17, 1979 at 1435 LT
Type of aircraft:
Fokker F27 Friendship
Operator:
Registration:
ZK-NFC
Flight Phase:
Landing (descent or approach)
Flight Type:
Scheduled Revenue Flight
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Lake, Sea, Ocean, River
Schedule:
Gisborne - Auckland
MSN:
10456
YOM:
1971
Flight number:
NZ4374
Country:
New Zealand
Region:
Oceania
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
1
Pax on board:
2
Pax fatalities:
1
Other fatalities:
0
Total fatalities:
2
Aircraft flight hours:
18718
Aircraft flight cycles:
25704
Circumstances:
On final approach to Auckland-Ardmore Airport, the aircraft's speed increased from 165 to 211 knots. The pilot-in-command (first officer) completed a last turn to join the runway 05 but was unable to locate it due to heavy showers. Too low, the airplane struck water surface and crashed in shallow water 1,025 meters short of runway 05 threshold. A pilot and a passenger were killed while two other occupants were injured.
Probable cause:
The accident was probably caused by the crew being misled, by a visual illusion in conditions of reduced visibility, into believing they were at a safe height and consequently failing to monitor the flight instruments sufficiently to confirm their aircraft maintained a safe approach path. The accident was the consequence of a controlled flight into terrain.
