ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 164861
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| Date: | Sunday 23 March 2014 |
| Time: | 11:06 LT |
| Type: |  Piper PA-38-112 Tomahawk |
| Owner/operator: | Air Hawkes Bay Ltd |
| Registration: | ZK-FTP |
| MSN: | 38-78A0185 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 2 / Occupants: 2 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | Ngaruroro River, Hawke's Bay -
 New Zealand
|
| Phase: | Manoeuvring (airshow, firefighting, ag.ops.) |
| Nature: | Training |
| Departure airport: | NZHS |
| NZHS | |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
ZK-FTP was a PA-38-112, being operated on a dual low flying training exercise over the Ngaruroro Rive, near Hastings, Hawkes Bay on 23 March 2014.
A British Airline Transport pilot was seeking to gain a New Zealand Commercial Pilot Licence, and this flight was to prepare him for the Commercial Pilot Licence flight test, booked for the following day.
The Rescue Coordination Centre of New Zealand received an Emergency Locator Transmitter signal from ZK-FTP by satellite at 1108 hours. An aerial search by one of the local Aero Club’s pilots located the aircraft wreckage in the Ngaruroro River. Both occupants were observed to be motionless inside the aircraft.
The accident occurred as a result of the aircraft departing controlled flight and subsequently impacting terrain. The departure from controlled flight most likely occurred when the aircraft’s critical angle of attack was exceeded, resulting in an aerodynamic stall and spin entry. From the height the aircraft was estimated to be operating at, it would not have been possible for either pilot to recover the aircraft from the stall.
The safety investigation could not conclusively determine why the aircraft reached a point where the departure from controlled flight had occurred. Two likely scenarios are: incapacitation of one of the pilots or a handling error.
Conclusions made by the New Zealand Civil Aviation authority:
1) The accident occurred as a result of the aircraft departing controlled flight and
entering a spin, from where there was insufficient height to recover.
2) The departure from controlled flight most likely occurred when the aircraft’s critical
angle of attack was exceeded, resulting in the aircraft suffering an aerodynamic stall
and subsequently entering into a spin.
3) The safety investigation could not conclusively determine why the aircraft reached a
point where a departure from controlled flight occurred. Two likely scenarios are:
incapacitation of one of the pilots or a handling error.
4) Incapacitation of either of the pilots could not be excluded as a contributing factor in
this accident.
5) If either of the pilots had experienced a sudden incapacitation it would have been
difficult for the other pilot to recognise this, and maintain controlled flight given the
likely low flying air exercises being conducted.
6) It could not be determined which pilot was manipulating the controls at the time of
the accident.
7) If a handling error had occurred, the safety investigation could not determine why the
instructor had allowed the situation to develop to the point where the departure from
controlled flight occurred.
8) The safety investigation found no evidence that the instructor had received specific
instruction, or guidance, on the training needs or associated risks with conducting
flight training for experienced, foreign pilots.
9) The instructor was appropriately licensed and fit to carry out the flight. However a
review of his flight training records showed a lack of continuity and consistency of
his flight instruction and training.
10) Pilots likely experience a level of skill degradation in those skills associated with the
pilot’s ability to recognise the cues and recall the appropriate responses for safe
flight, if those skills are not often practiced.
11) It may have been prudent that the student’s training was referred to the Flight
Academy.
12) There is limited literature or general awareness about a trans-cockpit authority
gradient in the flight training environment.
13) Manoeuvres conducted at low level must be conducted accurately as there is little
safety margin to recover from a handling error.
14) The accident was not survivable.
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/hawkes-bay-today/news/article.cfm?c_id=1503462&objectid=11224793
http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/national/239593/fatal-plane-crash-in-hawke's-bay
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11975282
https://www.hbecac.co.nz/?page_id=104
https://www.hbecac.co.nz/?page_id=19
https://www.aviation.govt.nz/assets/publications/fatal-accident-reports/ZK-FTP-Fatal.pdf
Images:
Bridge Pa 24Oct2011
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 23-Mar-2014 01:47 | angels one five | Added |
| 23-Mar-2014 01:48 | angels one five | Updated [Narrative] |
| 23-Mar-2014 03:32 | Geno | Updated [Aircraft type, Phase, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Damage, Narrative] |
| 23-Mar-2014 18:50 | Anon. | Updated [Registration, Cn] |
| 23-Mar-2014 20:20 | Alpine Flight | Updated [Time, Departure airport, Destination airport, Damage] |
| 25-Mar-2014 10:19 | flyernzl | Updated [Photo, ] |
| 16-Jan-2018 06:55 | angels one five | Updated [Time, Source] |
| 19-May-2020 06:43 | JMW69 | Updated [Operator, Location, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Narrative] |
| 19-May-2020 06:44 | harro | Updated [Source, Accident report, ] |
| 03-Feb-2022 04:38 | Ron Averes | Updated [Location] |
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