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Crash of a Fletcher FU-24-950 near Kaitaia: 1 killed

Date & Time: Mar 31, 2006 at 1345 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
ZK-EGP
Flight Phase:
Survivors:
No
Site:
Schedule:
Kaitaia - Kaitaia
MSN:
238
YOM:
1977
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
1
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
1
Captain / Total flying hours:
1347
Captain / Total hours on type:
864.00
Aircraft flight hours:
11230
Circumstances:
On Friday 31 March 2006 the pilot intended to carry out topdressing on properties near a steep hill range nine kilometres to the south-west of Kaitaia. The day’s activities commenced at approximately 0600 hours when the pilot and loaderdriver met at Kaitaia aerodrome. The pilot and loader-driver flew in the aircraft from the aerodrome to a farm airstrip located on the back of a hill range near the Pukepoto Quarry where the fertiliser-loading truck had been parked overnight. The topdressing operation began in the morning with spreading approximately 25 tonnes of superphosphate on nearby farmland which was stored in the fertiliser bins next to the airstrip. As the last of the superphosphate was being spread, a consignment of fresh lime was delivered by a trucking contractor. The topdressing operation continued with the spreading of the lime on another property near the base of the hill range, about three kilometres from the airstrip. At around 1000 hours, while waiting on another delivery of lime by the trucking contractor, the pilot and loader-driver flew in the aircraft to another airstrip about 20 km to the south-east near Broadwood. They repositioned a fertiliser-loading truck located at this airstrip to another airstrip near Pawarenga, in anticipation of the next day’s topdressing. The pilot and loader-driver then flew back to the original farm airstrip near the Pukepoto Quarry, arriving at approximately 1100 hours. At about this time the pilot received a cell phone call from his supervising Chief Pilot. During the conversation he asked the Chief Pilot for his advice about the best direction for spreading lime on the land that he was currently working on. The pilot also commented about how the lime was ‘hanging up’ and not flowing easily from the aircraft’s hopper. The Chief Pilot cautioned the pilot about the poor flow properties of new lime and advised him to spread the lime in line with the hill range, not up the slope. The topdressing operation then resumed until all the lime in the fertiliser bin had been used. The pilot and loader-driver then stopped for lunch during which time the aircraft was refuelled and another truckload of lime was delivered. The pilot had commented to the loader-driver during lunch that the lime was still hanging up in the aircraft’s hopper. He was finding that he needed to complete about two passes to clear the entire load from the hopper. Just before starting the afternoon’s topdressing flights, the pilot had a conversation on his cell phone with a bank manager in Auckland. The conversation concerned the financial position of his topdressing business. The loader-driver reported that the pilot became very agitated during the conversation, but appeared to calm down prior to beginning the afternoon’s flying. The farm-owner observed the aircraft on its first flight of the afternoon as it completed the first two passes. He was aware that the aircraft had flown further away after these two passes and assumed the aircraft was returning to the airstrip for a second load of lime. He did not notice anything abnormal about the aircraft. Other witnesses reported that the aircraft flew parallel with a plantation of 30-40 metre high trees towards the rising hill range. The closest eye witness reported seeing what appeared to be fertiliser dropping from the aircraft as it flew along the tree line up the slope. The dropping of the fertiliser then stopped at which point the aircraft was seen entering a steep right hand turn away from the slope whilst descending towards the ground. The aircraft disappeared in to tall bush on the hillside and witnesses heard the aircraft impact the ground. A large smoke-like cloud was then seen rising up through the bush. On hearing the impact, the farm-owner and a local share-milker from a nearby farm searched the hillside for the aircraft. The aircraft was obscured by the tall bush and was initially difficult to locate. The share-milker made his way down the hillside through the bush to the aircraft. He quickly realised that the pilot was deceased. The farmer-owner went to alert the emergency services, however another property owner who had heard the aircraft strike the ground and seen the smoke had already telephoned the New Zealand Police. The accident occurred in daylight, at approximately 1345 hours NZDT, 9 km south-west of Kaitaia at an elevation of 880 feet AMSL. Latitude: S 35° 10' 26.1", longitude: E 173° 11' 29.4"; grid reference: NZMS 260 N05 283698.
Probable cause:
Conclusions:
- The pilot was appropriately licensed and was being supervised as required by Civil Aviation Rules.
- The aircraft had been maintained in accordance with the requirements of Civil Aviation Rules, and had a valid airworthiness certificate.
- There was no evidence that the aircraft had suffered any mechanical problem which may have contributed to the accident.
- The probable initiator of the accident was a hung load of lime which would have limited the climb performance of the aircraft. Factors contributing to the accident were the steep rising terrain and a high tree line which restricted the turning options for the pilot.
- The pilot flew the aircraft into a situation where he had limited recovery options. Due to his limited agricultural flying experience, he may not have appreciated his predicament until it was too late or taken recovery action early enough. The aircraft appears to have aerodynamically stalled during a right hand turn from which there was insufficient height to recover.
- In addition, the pilot’s decision making ability and concentration may have been impaired to some degree by various distractions and fatigue.
- The accident was not survivable.
- The standard sight (observation) window installed on Fletcher aircraft is an impractical method for pilots to monitor the upper level of the hopper contents during flight, particularly with a product like lime which has a higher relative density compared to other fertiliser products.
Final Report:

Crash of a De Havilland DH.104 Dove 1B at Ohakea AFB

Date & Time: Feb 3, 2006 at 1020 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
ZK-UDO
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
MSN:
04412
YOM:
1953
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
7
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
The aircraft was performing a private tour when enroute, the crew decided to divert to Ohakea AFB due to the deterioration of the weather conditions. On final approach, when full flaps was selected, the aircraft rolled left and right. The pilots could not control the aircraft that struck the runway surface and came to rest. While all occupants were uninjured, the aircraft was considered as damaged beyond repair.
Probable cause:
Failure of the port flap jack linkage eye-bolt which caused an asymmetrical flap condition, causing the aircraft to be out of control.

Crash of a Fletcher FU-24-101 in Douglas: 2 killed

Date & Time: Apr 4, 2003 at 1830 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
ZK-LTF
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Stratford - Stratford
MSN:
200
YOM:
1973
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
1
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
1
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
2
Captain / Total flying hours:
1438
Captain / Total hours on type:
340.00
Aircraft flight hours:
5332
Circumstances:
The pilot had arranged to topdress properties for three clients, one of whom had three separate blocks to be treated. He departed from Stratford Aerodrome at 0653 hours in ZK-LTF for the first airstrip, located some 7 km to the north-east. After an initial reconnaissance flight, he began topdressing at 0722, and finished this block at 1034 hours. Via brief landings at Stratford and another airstrip 11 km to the north, he positioned the aircraft to a strip near Huiroa. The remainder of the day’s work was carried out from this strip. Four blocks were treated from this location: the first was 8 km to the north-west of the strip, the second immediately to the north, the third some 3 km west and the last 4.5 km to the south, adjacent to the Strathmore Saddle. A reconnaissance of the fourth block was flown at 1518, but actual spreading on this property was not commenced until 1755 hours. Two loads of urea were spread on the fourth block between 1755 and 1812 hours, with a 12-minute pause until the final take-off at 1824. During this break, the last of the urea was loaded, the fertiliser bins secured and the loading vehicle parked. It is not known if the aircraft was refuelled at this time. The loader driver boarded the aircraft after completing his duties, the apparent intention being to accompany the pilot back to Stratford on completion of the last drop. On arrival over the property at 1825, the pilot performed one run towards the south, made a left reversal turn, spread another swath on a northerly heading, and pulled up to commence another reversal turn to the left. At some time after this pull-up, the aeroplane struck the ground heavily on a south-westerly heading, killing both occupants on impact. Later in the evening, the pilot’s wife reported the aircraft and its occupants overdue, and a ground search was commenced, initially by friends and associates. The wreckage and the bodies of the crew were found about half an hour after midnight. The accident occurred during evening civil twilight, at approximately 1830 hours NZST, adjacent to the Strathmore Saddle, at an elevation of about 530 feet.
Probable cause:
Conclusions:
- The pilot was licensed, rated and fit for the flights being undertaken.
- The aeroplane had a current Airworthiness Certificate and had been maintained in accordance with current requirements.
- No pre-accident aircraft defect was found.
- The impact was consistent with partial recovery from a dive with insufficient height to do so.
- No conclusive reason could be found for the aircraft to have been in such a situation.
- Light conditions were probably conducive to difficult height judgement.
- The pilot’s judgement may have further been eroded by fatigue and a degree of carbon monoxide absorption.
- The accident was not survivable.
Final Report:

Crash of a Piper PA-31-325 Navajo in Feilding: 3 killed

Date & Time: Dec 17, 2002 at 2041 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
ZK-TZC
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Feilding – Paraparaumu
MSN:
31-7812129
YOM:
1978
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
1
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
2
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
3
Captain / Total flying hours:
1080
Captain / Total hours on type:
70.00
Aircraft flight hours:
1806
Circumstances:
The aircraft took off from Feilding Aerodrome on a visual flight rules flight to Paraparaumu. The normal flight time was about 17 minutes. The pilot and his 2 sons, aged 7 years and 5 years, were on board. Earlier that evening the pilot, his wife and 4 children had attended the pilotís farewell work function in Palmerston North. After the function they all went to Feilding Aerodrome where he prepared ZK-TZC for the flight. The pilotís wife saw him carry out a pre-flight inspection of the aeroplane, including checking the fuel. The pilot seemed to her to be his normal self and he gave her no indication that anything was amiss either with himself or ZK-TZC. She did not see the aeroplane taxi but did see it take off on runway 10 and then turn right. She thought the take-off and the departure were normal and saw nothing untoward. She then drove to Paraparaumu with her 2 younger children, the 2 older boys having left in ZK-TZC with their father. An aviation enthusiast, who lived by the aerodrome boundary, watched ZK-TZC taxi and take off, but he did not see or hear the pilot complete a ground run. He saw the aeroplane take off on runway 10 immediately after it taxied and thought the take-off and departure were normal. He did not notice anything untoward with the aeroplane. A radar data plot provided the time, track and altitude details for ZK-TZC. No radio transmissions from the pilot were heard or recorded by Palmerston North or Ohakea air traffic control. Palmerston North Control Tower was unattended from 2030 on the evening of the accident. The radar data plot showed that after take-off ZK-TZC turned right, climbed to 1000 feet above mean sea level (amsl) and headed for Paraparaumu. When the aeroplane was about 2.7 nautical miles (nm) (5 km) from Feilding Aerodrome and tracking approximately 1.3 nm (2.4 km) northwest of Palmerston North Aerodrome it turned to the left, descended and headed back to Feilding Aerodrome. The aeroplane descended at about 500 feet per minute rate of descent to 400 feet amsl. At 400 feet amsl (about 200 feet above the ground) the aeroplane passed about 0.5 nm (900 m) east of the aerodrome and threshold for runway 28, and joined left downwind for runway 10. In the downwind position the aeroplane was spaced about 0.3 nm (500 m) laterally from the runway at an initial height of 400 feet amsl, or about 200 feet above the ground. ZK-TZC departed from controlled flight when it was turning left at a low height during an apparent approach to land on runway 10, with its undercarriage and flaps extended. ZK-TZC first rotated to face away from the aerodrome before striking the ground in a nose down attitude. The 3 occupants were killed in the impact. Two witnesses, who were about 3.5 km southeast of Palmerston North Aerodrome and about 6 km from the aeroplane, saw the aeroplane at a normal height shortly before it turned back towards Feilding. They described what they thought was some darkish grey smoke behind the aeroplane shortly before it turned around. A witness near Palmerston North recalled seeing the aeroplane in level flight at about 1000 feet before it rolled quickly into a steep left turn and then headed back toward Feilding Aerodrome. After the steep turn the aeroplane descended. He thought that one or both engines were running unevenly. He did not see any smoke or anything unusual coming from the aeroplane. He lost sight of the aeroplane when it was in the vicinity of Feilding. He remembered that at the time it was getting on toward dark and that there was a high cloud base with gusty winds. Another witness travelling on a road from Feilding Aerodrome to Palmerston North saw the aeroplane fly low over his car. He saw the undercarriage extend then retract and that the left propeller was stationary. He believed the other engine sounded normal. He then saw the aeroplane continue toward Feilding Aerodrome and cross the eastern end of the runway. He thought the aeroplane was trying to turn and said it seemed to be quite low and slow. He did not see any smoke coming from the aeroplane. He was not overly concerned because he thought it was a training aeroplane. He said the weather at the time was clear with a high overcast. The aviation enthusiast saw ZK-TZC return for a landing and fly to a left downwind position for runway 10. He thought the aeroplane was quite low. He said the left propeller was feathered and was not turning and believed the right engine sounded normal. He did not see any smoke coming from the aeroplane. He could not recall the position of the undercarriage or flaps. After a while he became concerned when he had not seen the aeroplane land. He described the weather at the time as being fine with good visibility but that it was getting on toward dark. A further witness living near Feilding Aerodrome by the threshold to runway 10 heard the aeroplane coming and then fly overhead. He said the aeroplane sounded very low and very loud, as though its engine was at maximum speed (power). The engine sounded normal, except that it sounded as though it was under high power. He said there was a slight breeze, clear conditions and a high overcast at the time. A couple living by Feilding Aerodrome on the approach path to runway 10 heard the aeroplane coming from a northerly direction. They thought its engine sounded as though it was under a heavy load and said it was making a very loud noise like a topdressing aeroplane. The engine was making a steady sound and was not intermittent or running rough. The steady loud engine noise continued until they heard a loud thump, when the engine noise stopped abruptly. They said that at the time it was getting on toward dark but the weather was clear with good visibility. An eyewitness to the accident saw the aeroplane at a very low height, about the height of some nearby treetops, when it turned left to land. The aeroplane was turning left when she saw it nose up sharply and then suddenly turn back in the opposite direction, before nosing down and hitting the ground nose first. She said the aeroplane seemed to snap in half after it hit the ground.
Probable cause:
The following findings were identified:
- The aircraft records showed ZK-TZC had been properly maintained and was airworthy before the accident.
- No conclusive reason could be found to explain why the left propeller was feathered.
- The pilot chose an improper course of action and flew an improbable circuit in attempting to land ZK-TZC back at the departure aerodrome with one engine inoperative, which led to the accident.
- The pilot's handling of the emergency was unaccountable.
- There was no indication that the training the 2 instructors gave the pilot was anything other than of a proper standard and above the minimum requirements.
- Had the pilot applied the techniques that both instructors said they taught him for a one-engine-inoperative approach and landing, and chosen any of a number of safer options readily available to him, the accident would probably not have occurred.
Final Report:

Crash of a Fletcher FU-24A-950M near Thames: 1 killed

Date & Time: Jul 24, 2002 at 1450 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
ZK-EOE
Flight Phase:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Orongo - Orongo
MSN:
143
YOM:
1968
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
1
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
1
Captain / Total flying hours:
2016
Captain / Total hours on type:
1522.00
Circumstances:
About 0900 hours on 24 July 2002, the pilot commenced spraying operations on flat farmland in the Orongo area, some three kilometres to the south-west of Thames Aerodrome. Loading for the operation was carried out at Thames by the pilot’s father, who as an experienced agricultural pilot, was also acting in a supervisory role. The pilot had only recently qualified for spraying, all his previous agricultural experience being topdressing. Spraying was stopped about 1210 hours because of unsuitable wind conditions, and both pilot and loader driver took a break for lunch at the loader driver’s home. Conditions improved after lunch, and spraying was restarted at 1350 hours, the pilot finishing the remaining treatment of the first property. The second property was started at 1420. The long axes of the paddocks on this property were aligned approximately north-west/south-east, and the pilot carried out his spray runs at right angles to the general alignment, progressively covering several paddocks on each run. The beginning of the runs was delineated by a row of about 30 mature trees of various species, over which the pilot had to descend on a south-westerly heading. On completion of the main part of the property, the pilot was left with one paddock on the other side of the trees. At the north-western end of this paddock was a barn and stockyards. On the first run over this paddock, the pilot approached over the barn and made the first spray run to the south-east. He was seen to make a 180-degree reversal turn and align the aircraft with the left (looking north-west) boundary of the paddock, in close proximity to the trees. On this heading, he was flying into the sun and towards the barn. Part -way into this run the left wing outer panel struck a protruding branch and part of the aileron was torn off. Further collisions occurred as the aircraft progressed along the tree line. The aircraft rolled inverted, struck the ground and slid to a halt with the engine still running. The farmer and his partner were driving separately along the nearby road, towards the barn when the accident happened. The farmer continued to the scene while his partner went to a neighbour’s house to alert emergency services. Arriving at the aircraft, the farmer quickly realised that there was nothing he could do for the pilot. The accident occurred in daylight, at approximately 1450 hours NZST, at Orongo, at an elevation of 10 feet. Grid reference: 260-T12-347440; latitude S 37° 10.7', longitude E 175° 31.6'.
Probable cause:
Conclusions:
- The pilot was appropriately licensed, rated and fit to carry out agricultural spraying operations.
- The aircraft had been operating normally up until the time of the accident.
- While operating into the sun and in close proximity to a line of trees, the left wing of the aircraft struck a substantial branch.
- The initial collision damaged the left aileron, and subsequent collisions with further branches progressively demolished the outer wing section.
- The aircraft damage resulted in a probably uncontrollable roll, followed by an inverted ground impact.
- The accident was not survivable.
- The aircraft structure did not feature any rollover protection for the cockpit occupant(s).
Final Report:

Crash of a Fletcher FU-24-950 near Masterton: 1 killed

Date & Time: Apr 19, 2002 at 1013 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
ZK-EGO
Flight Phase:
Survivors:
No
MSN:
237
YOM:
1977
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
1
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
1
Captain / Total flying hours:
10165
Captain / Total hours on type:
152.00
Circumstances:
On the morning of Friday 19 April 2002, the pilot was engaged in spreading superphosphate on a hill-country property to the south-east of Masterton. Operations had commenced at 0735 hours, after the pilot and loader driver had flown to the airstrip from Masterton. The topdressing proceeded normally for two hours, the pilot taking a refuel and “smoko” break from 0935 to 1000 hours. The left tank only was topped off, as the fuel system design permitted the fuel levels to equalise between the left and right tanks. As was his usual practice, the pilot carried out a full pre-flight inspection during the break. The loader driver noted the time of the first takeoff after the break as 1001 hours. This sortie was completed normally; but the aircraft became overdue on the second. Looking over towards the area being worked, the loader driver saw a column of black smoke; he immediately telephoned the company chief pilot, who was operating another aircraft on a property a short distance to the south-west. The chief pilot had already seen the smoke, and flew across to investigate. He saw the aircraft burning fiercely on the shoulder of a ridge and telephoned emergency services to report the accident. He briefly contemplated landing by the accident site, but decided against it and continued to the airstrip to pick up the loader driver. They flew back to the site, but could see no sign of the pilot, so returned to Masterton. They had seen that there was a person and a motorcycle on the ground by the wreckage: this was the farmer whose property was being topdressed, and who had been working on the eastern side of the valley being sown. While the aeroplane was on its last run, the farmer saw an object fall from it and “flutter” to the ground. He was unable to tell what the object was, but thought at first that it may have been a superphosphate bag by the way it fell. Two fencing contractors were working near the farmer’s position; they also saw an object fall from the aeroplane, and shortly afterwards one remarked to the other that the aeroplane “had no tail”. They watched the aeroplane climb and “veer to the left” before striking the ground near the top of the ridge at the southern end of the valley. It caught fire on impact. The farmer, although he did not see the impact because of intervening terrain, realised something was amiss and quickly moved to a position where he could see the accident site. He then drove his four-wheel motorcycle to the site; he estimated that this took about three minutes. On arrival, he found the centre section of the aircraft well ablaze; he could see no sign of the pilot at this stage, despite being able to get as close as the left wingtip. He reported that there were a number of explosions while the fire was burning, and that once the fire had subsided, he saw the pilot’s body in the wreckage. The impact (but not the falling object) was also witnessed by another farmer on the ridge to the western side of the valley. He estimated that some 10 seconds elapsed between impact and the first sign of fire, and had expected to see the pilot jump clear. The falling object was later found to be the tail fin (vertical stabiliser); it had landed in a clearing in a small patch of bush near where the fencers had been working, 870 m from the point where the aircraft struck the ground. The accident occurred in daylight, at 1013 hours NZST, 12 km south-south-east of Masterton, at an elevation of 1240 feet. Grid reference 260-T26-370116, latitude S 41° 04.36', longitude E 175° 42.05'.
Probable cause:
Conclusions:
- The pilot was appropriately licensed, experienced and fit to carry out the series of flights.
- The aeroplane had been operating normally up to the time of the accident.
- An undetected fatigue crack, or series of cracks, had been propagating in the forward area of the tail fin for some time.
- The cracks developed to a point where the remaining structure was unable to accommodate normal flight loads, and the fin separated from the aircraft.
- The departure of the fin probably resulted in some uncommanded yawing and pitching effects, with accompanying control feedback and unusual sounds.
- The rudder became lodged in the tailplane upper surface as the fin departed, with the potential to restrict elevator control.
- The extent and duration of any elevator control restriction could not be determined.
- The resultant impact with terrain may have been an attempt by the pilot to carry out an immediate forced landing, or may have been a result of limited control available to the pilot.
- The impact and subsequent fire were not survivable.
- The fatigue cracking in the fin originated from cuts in the skin, made when the leading-edge abrasion strip was being trimmed in situ.
- It was not determined when and by whom the cuts were made, however, measures have been taken to prevent a recurrence.
Final Report:

Crash of a Fletcher FU-24-950 in Paiaka: 1 killed

Date & Time: Dec 23, 2001 at 1430 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
ZK-MAT
Flight Phase:
Survivors:
No
Site:
Schedule:
Paiaka - Paiaka
MSN:
236
YOM:
1977
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
1
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
1
Captain / Total flying hours:
1516
Captain / Total hours on type:
1262.00
Circumstances:
On the morning of Sunday 23 December 2001, the pilot was engaged in spreading superphosphate on a property near Otonga. When this job was completed the operation moved to a property to the east of Whangarei where urea was sown on a maize crop. This job finished at about 1130 hours when the pilot and loader driver decided to have a cup of tea and determine which job they would do next. There were two options available; it was found that the wind was unsuitable for operations from one airstrip, so it was decided to complete the job at Paiaka, which involved spreading some 112 tonnes of lime. This particular job was to have commenced on 13 December 2001 but was delayed because of wind. The loader driver arrived at Paiaka at about 1300 hours to find that the pilot had already landed and was removing the cover from the fertiliser bin that held the lime. The loader driver noticed that water had come under the edges of the cover making the lime damp around the walls of the bin. The truck driver who had delivered lime earlier in the week had also noted the presence of moisture in the lime around the edges of the bin. The work commenced at about 1320 hours and the loader driver expected the pilot to stop for fuel between 1445 and 1500 hours. After approximately 13 loads the loader driver was using the lime that had been affected by moisture. As a result he took bucket loads from the sides of the bin and mixed it with the lime in the middle of the bin in an effort to make the lime flow more freely. At approximately 1425 the pilot gave the signal to the loader driver for a refuel on the next landing. As this was earlier than the expected refuel time the loader driver assumed this was also to check if any lime was building up around the bottom of the hopper. During the 10 weeks that they had been operating the aircraft they had to clean fertiliser away from the hopper door area. This had happened several times, especially if the fertiliser was damp, and on one occasion they had to clean out part of a previous fertiliser load that had “hung up” inside the hopper. As the loader driver was preparing for the refuel he could hear the aeroplane operating under what sounded like full power, and saw the pilot manoeuvre the aircraft in an apparent attempt to dislodge the load. He saw a small “puff” of lime discharge from the aircraft as it was “bunted”. The aircraft then disappeared behind intervening terrain into a valley, some 1,500 metres from the sowing area. The loader driver did not see the aeroplane again, but heard a muffled explosion and saw smoke on the skyline. He then phoned for emergency assistance. The accident occurred in daylight, at approximately 1430 hours NZDT, at Paiaka, at an elevation of 720 feet. Grid reference 260-Q06-142267, latitude S 35° 33 2', longitude E 174° 08.3'.
Probable cause:
Conclusions:
- The pilot was appropriately licensed, rated and fit for the flights undertaken.
- The aircraft had a valid Airworthiness Certificate and had been maintained in accordance with current requirements.
- The possibility of a pre-existing defect with the aircraft or engine that could have contributed to the accident was eliminated as far as practicable by the investigation.
- The pilot was aware that water had affected the lime that he was using.
- The pilot encountered a “hung load” of lime, probably resulting from the damp product bridging over the hopper doors, and despite bunting manoeuvres, he was unable to discharge the hopper contents.
- The aircraft entered a valley system from which there was no means of escape, either by climbing or by carrying out a reversal turn.
Final Report:

Crash of a Fletcher FU-24-950M in Waiotira

Date & Time: Sep 8, 2001 at 0710 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
ZK-CMN
Flight Phase:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Waiotira - Waiotira
MSN:
118
YOM:
1966
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
1
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Captain / Total flying hours:
15131
Captain / Total hours on type:
14935.00
Circumstances:
The aircraft was flown to a farm airstrip then loaded with a small load of agricultural product. A combination of extremely soft airstrip conditions, a quartering tailwind, and underslung spreader equipment, degraded performance to the extent that the aircraft was unable to become airborne within the available length of the strip. The load was jettisoned, but the aircraft struck a fence and scraped the ground with the left wing tip and aileron. The aircraft did become airborne, but was unable to be effectively controlled and subsequently struck the ground. The aircraft was destroyed and the pilot was seriously injured.
Probable cause:
A combination of extremely soft airstrip conditions, a quartering tailwind, and underslung spreader equipment, degraded performance to the extent that the aircraft was unable to become airborne within the available length of the strip.

Crash of a Fletcher FU-24-950M in Raglan

Date & Time: Dec 15, 2000 at 0640 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
ZK-BHL
Flight Phase:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Raglan - Raglan
MSN:
14
YOM:
1955
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
1
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
The pilot, sole on board, was engaged in a local crop spraying mission. During the takeoff roll, the aircraft encountered difficulties to gain speed. The pilot suspected problems with the parking brake and after liftoff, the aircraft lost height and crashed to the left of the departure area. The pilot escaped uninjured while the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.

Crash of a Fletcher FU-24-950 in Raetihi

Date & Time: Sep 28, 1999 at 1750 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
ZK-DLS
Flight Phase:
Survivors:
Yes
MSN:
182
YOM:
1973
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
1
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
The aircraft was taking off on the final sowing sortie, after which the pilot was to return to home base. The pilot reported that, on the takeoff roll, the engine appeared to overspeed and that the aircraft failed to get airborne. It subsequently sank into a shallow gully off the end of the strip. After the accident, one propeller blade was found to be free to rotate about its feathering axis. Metallurgical analysis indicated that the pitch change knob on the subject blade failed as the result of ductile overload. A second pitch change knob was also bent and cracked but had not separated from the blade. The overload sustained by the pitch change knobs was determined to have occurred at impact, not in flight. No reason was established for the failure to become airborne.