Accident description
Last updated: 25 May 2013
| Status: | Preliminary - official |
| Date: | 27 DEC 2006 |
| Time: | 10:00 |
| Type: | Britten-Norman BN-2A-27 Islander |
| Operator: | Island Air Charters |
| Registration: | ZK-WNZ |
| C/n / msn: | 278 |
| First flight: | 1971-05-06 (35 years 8 months) |
| Engines: | 2 Lycoming 0-540-E4C5 |
| Crew: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 1 |
| Passengers: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 0 |
| Total: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 1 |
| Airplane damage: | Substantial |
| Airplane fate: | Written off (damaged beyond repair) |
| Location: | ca 7 km W off Tauranga Airport (TRG) (New Zealand)
 |
| Phase: | En route (ENR) |
| Nature: | Ferry/positioning |
| Departure airport: | Tauranga Airport (TRG/NZTG), New Zealand |
| Hamilton Airport (HLZ/NZHN), New Zealand |
The pilot was ferrying the aircraft from Tauranga Airport (TRG) to a Hamilton Airport (HLZ) maintenance facility when one of the engines failed. The pilot elected to turn back to Tauranga but, shortly after, the remaining engine failed. The pilot carried out a forced landing into a tidal estuary. The aircraft incurred substantial damage to the nose landing gear. Subsequent CAA safety investigation determined that on an earlier flight, the aircraft's electrical system incurred a defect that rendered several electrical components unserviceable, including the two tip/main fuel tank selector valves. No engineering inspection or rectification ensued and the operator ferried the aircraft from Great Barrier Island unaware that the engines were being fed from the tip tanks only. The operator departed Tauranga for Hamilton under similar circumstances, reaching the vicinity of the Kaimai Ranges when the tip tanks became empty.
The plane stuck fast in the mud and was kept afloat overnight by drums. It was airlifed by a Mil Mi-8 helicopter the next day.
Events:
Sources:
» Airline and pilot banned after crash landing (NZPA, 29-12-2006)
» CAA NZ Occurrence # 06/4799
Photos
Aircraft history
| date | registration | operator | remarks |
|---|---|---|---|
| 06 MAY 1971 | G-AYYA | first flight | |
| 06 MAY 1971 | VH-ISE | Islander Aircraft Sales | |
| 26 JUL 1973 | VH-ISE | ||
| VH-ISE | Islandair Pty | ||
| 20 JUN 1979 | N8021M | Tonga Air | |
| 04 OCT 1979 | N8021M | Samoan Airlines | |
| N8021M | Manu'a Air Transport | ||
| ZK-WNZ | Southern Air, Invercargill | ||
| ZK-WNZ | New Zealand Air Services | ||
| ZK-WNZ | Wings Over Whales | ||
| 26 OCT 2004 | ZK-WNZ | Island Air Charters |
» source: Werner Fischdick
Map
This map shows the airport of departure and the intended destination of the flight. The line between the airports does not display the exact flight path.
Distance from Tauranga Airport to Hamilton Airport as the crow flies is 79 km (49 miles).
Distance from Tauranga Airport to Hamilton Airport as the crow flies is 79 km (49 miles).
This information is not presented as the Flight Safety Foundation or the Aviation Safety Network’s opinion as to the cause of the accident. It is preliminary and is based on the facts as they are known at this time.
