Manawatu-Wanganui (Horizons Regional Council)

The airplane suffered a double engine failure in flight and crashed into the sea off the Whangaehu River mouth, south of Wanganui. Several debris were found floating on water but the pilot's body was never found.

Shortly after takeoff, the single engine airplane entered a right turn, struck trees and crashed. The pilot, sole on board, was killed.

Crashed in unknown circumstances in Raetihi while performing a crop spraying mission. The pilot, sole on board was injured.

Shortly after takeoff from Tiraumea (47 km northeast of Masterton) on a local topdressing flight, the aircraft suffered an engine failure, stalled and crashed. The pilot was uninjured while the aircraft was written off.

The single engine airplane was engaged in an aerial topdressing operation on a farm near Taumarunui. On the 43rd sortie of the day the aircraft failed to return to the airstrip as expected and a search found the crashed and burning Fletcher about mid-way between the sowing area and the airstrip. The aircraft was destroyed by impact forces and the fire was largely confined to the engine bay and cockpit. The pilot Robert Neville Scott was dead. Evidence showed that the pilot had made a 90 degree turn back towards the airstrip and had commenced jettisoning the 20 hundredweight ( 2,240 pounds, 995 kg ) superphosphate hopper load. The aircraft collided with the terrain on a 15 degree rising grassy slope at a low forward speed and high rate of descent. About 15 hundredweight of the load was still in the hopper. Both fuel tanks had been ruptured in the crash and there was an absence of Avtur odour on the ground around the LH tank. The engine was producing high rotational energy at the time of impact. There was no evidence of mechanical failure prior to impact. An autopsy of the pilot produced no evidence that the fire had begun in the air.

The aircraft was engaged in an operation involving the aerial sowing of bulk fertiliser. The Lodestar had made a straight sowing run after which it was seen to cross a ridge. It turned slightly to starboard and followed the line of the ridge before entering a comparatively steep left-hand turn apparently initiated to bring it back toward a suitable position from which another sowing run could be started. When about two-thirds of the turn had been completed, the aircraft was seen to flick suddenly into a left-hand spin which continued very rapidly for one and a half to two and a half turns until the aircraft impacted on bush-clad terrain near the top of the ridge it had formerly crossed, exploded, disintegrated and burned.

The pilot was the holder of a Commercial Pilot Licence and had recently completed an agricultural flying training course at Wanganui. On the 6th of July, 1964 he was doing further practice flying to increase his experience in the FU24 before commencing agricultural flying work. He was briefed by the chief pilot to load the hopper of ZK-BOA with about 8 hundredweight (896 pounds /407 kg) of sand and to proceed to an approved low-flying practice area and familiarise himself with the feel of the aircraft at the threshold of a stall, but not to incur a full stall. This exercise was to be carried at a height of between 1,000 and 1,500 feet. The plane was seen by a number of eyewitnesses in the Mosstown area, about five miles from the airport, to be flying both low and slow. One witness, a 150-hour pilot, said he was perturbed by the height, speed, and type of flying being undertaken. He estimated the height to be between 150 and 200 feet while making low speed runs and turns, and at times the nose of the Fletcher would pitch down followed by an increase in engine noise. Impact with the ground was not observed by anyone, but one person who had seen the plane flying at between 100 and 200 feet heard the thud of the crash two or three minutes later.

At 1117LT flight 92 departed Wellington Airport on a scheduled flight to Rotorua. The flight cleared Wellington Control Zone and later reported its position at Foxton and east of Ohakea. No further messages ware received from the aircraft, and no distress calls were heard. At 1155LT the aircraft was sighted over the northeast slopes of Mount Ruapehu. A few seconds later the starboard wing, complete with engine, separated from the fuselage. As the rest of the structure plunged towards the ground an explosion occurred, and the fuselage burst into flames. The aircraft crashed on the face of the mountain, and the pilot and five passengers died instantly. The accident occurred at an altitude of 7 300 ft amsl, 1 276 yd from Te Heu Heu Peak.
Crew:
Cpt Alf Bartlett, pilot.
Passengers:
Marlene Boynton,
Nicholas Crook 2 children
Irvine Down.

Crashed in unknown circumstances in Taeroa, near Taihape, while completing a crop spraying mission. The pilot George Shirtcliffe was killed in the crash.

Crashed in unknown circumstances while conducting a crop spraying flight. The pilot, sole on board, was injured and the aircraft was written off.