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| Date: | Thursday 19 February 2015 |
| Time: | 15:44 |
| Type: |  Robinson R44 Raven II |
| Owner/operator: | Over The Top Helicopters Ltd |
| Registration: | ZK-IPY |
| MSN: | 10555 |
| Year of manufacture: | 2004 |
| Engine model: | Lycoming IO-540-AE1A5 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 2 / Occupants: 2 |
| Other fatalities: | 0 |
| Aircraft damage: | Substantial |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | near Queenstown, Otago -
 New Zealand
|
| Phase: | En route |
| Nature: | Training |
| Departure airport: | Queenstown (ZQN/NZQN) |
| Queenstown (ZQN/NZQN) | |
| Investigating agency: | TAIC |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
On 19 February 2015 a Robinson R44 helicopter registered ZK-IPY was returning to Queenstown from a training flight when it suffered a mast bump and crashed in bush near the Lochy River. The instructor and student on board were killed.
The cause of the mast bump and resulting in-flight break-up could not be conclusively determined.
After publication of the final report, the Commission was advised of new evidence concerning the mental health of the instructor prior to the crash, in 2014. On 28 September 2016 the Commission resumed the inquiry to evaluate the new evidence.
The Commission concluded that it is very unlikely that any medical factor contributed to the accident. As a result, no changes were made to the original findings in the published report. The Commission made a further finding: that it is very likely that the instructor was medically fit to fly when his most recent medical certificate was issued.
The Commission also found that: there are currently too many ways for a holder of an aviation document to circumvent the civil aviation process designed to prevent pilots flying if they are not medically fit to do so; and that there is currently a low awareness amongst medical practitioners of their duty to report to the Civil Aviation Authority if they become aware that a pilot has developed a medical condition that would otherwise render them unfit to fly.
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
skins/taicAviation/skin_aviation]TAIC Final report
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/83551397/investigation-finds-no-clear-reason-for-helicopter-crash-families-call-for-ban
http://tvnz.co.nz/national-news/local-men-named-queenstown-helicopter-crash-victims-6238577
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/66427851/owners-son-killed-in-queenstown-helicopter-crash
NTSB
https://www.caa.govt.nz/Script/AirReg3_new.asp?Mark=ipy&Query3=Get+Reg+Mark
http://www.airport-data.com/aircraft/photo/000015298.html
https://www.tvnz.co.nz/one-news/new-zealand/80-helicopters-grounded-following-fatal-crash-photos-6239213.html
History of this aircraft
Other occurrences involving this aircraft
| 11 January 2013 | ZK-IPY | 0 | Glenorchy | |
sub |
Images:
Wanaka Dec2008
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 19-Feb-2015 04:40 | angels one five | Added |
| 19-Feb-2015 04:50 | angels one five | Updated [Location, ] |
| 19-Feb-2015 04:53 | angels one five | Updated [Date, ] |
| 19-Feb-2015 20:28 | angels one five | Updated [Nature, Source, ] |
| 21-Feb-2015 00:53 | Geno | Updated [Aircraft type, Registration, Cn, Departure airport, Source, Narrative, ] |
| 21-Feb-2015 02:09 | angels one five | Updated [Source, ] |
| 22-Feb-2015 07:27 | flyernzl | Updated [Photo, ] |
| 11-Mar-2015 01:01 | Geno | Updated [Time, Registration, Source, Narrative, ] |
| 27-Aug-2016 16:32 | Anon. | Updated [Source, ] |
| 01-Apr-2017 16:18 | Anon. | Updated [Embed code, Narrative, ] |
| 24-Jul-2017 08:22 | harro | Updated [Destination airport, Source, Embed code, Narrative, ] |
| 09-Feb-2022 17:07 | Ron Averes | Updated [Location, Source, ] |
Corrections or additions? ... Edit this accident description
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