Near mid-air crash between planes sparks calls for change
The two aircraft got "dangerously close" to crashing as they made final approaches towards Ardmore Airport, south of Auckland, during a night-time flight in October 2023.
The airport, which is about 5 kilometres southeast of Manurewa, is uncontrolled or unattended, meaning it operates without a control tower.
In a report released today, the Transport Accident Investigation Commission (TAIC) said a twin-engine Beech Duchess flew over a single-engine Cessna 172, missing it by about 20 feet, or 6 metres
The Cessna pilot initiated a "go-around" before both aircraft landed safely.
"The pilot flying and the instructor on the Beech were unaware of their proximity to the Cessna in the circuit," the report said.
The Beech pilot was unaware how close they were to the Cessna because it was hard to see, even though they had the required lighting.
Both aircraft also flew different paths on final approach, increasing the risk of one aircraft not seeing the other, the report said.
"Contributing to the different vertical profiles flown was that a local altitude restriction for Ardmore Airport was published in their operations manual and not in the Aeronautical Information Publication New Zealand (AIPNZ) available to all pilots," the report said.
There were two missed chances where radio calls could have helped the pilots detect the developing risk, TAIC said.
Chief investigator of accidents, Naveen Kozhuppakalam said the findings are relevant to every unattended aerodrome in New Zealand.
"There are unattended aerodromes all over the country, where pilots rely on aircraft visibility, shared airspace awareness, and good communication to stay safe. When those break down, so does the last line of defence against mid-air collisions," he said.
The commission has made two recommendations to the Civil Aviation Authority following the incident.
These include further guidance on how to make aircraft easier to see at night and taking action to ensure all procedures applied by local aerodrome operators are recorded in the AIPNZ.
"The ability to clearly see another aircraft is also a pillar of 'see and avoid' at an unattended aerodrome. This can be difficult at night with aircraft fitted with olderstyle lighting. Aircraft conspicuity at night can be improved by installing modern lighting such as light-emitting-diode (LED) lighting," the report said.
TAIC has previously investigated three fatal mid-air collisions at unattended aerodromes since 2008, all involving "breakdowns in radio communication and situational awareness".
"This report is essential reading for anyone flying into or managing New Zealand's busiest unattended aerodromes," Kozhuppakalam said.
"Night or day, knowing where other aircraft are-and being seen-is non-negotiable."
www.rnz.co.nz
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Otago Daily Times
25-06-2025
- Otago Daily Times
New Coastguard boat arrives
Riverton Coastguard skipper and chairman Ross McKenzie (left) and Gough Bros manager Nick Morris with the new Coastguard boat behind them. PHOTO: TONI MCDONALD After seven years, Riverton's Coastguard skipper and chairman Ross McKenzie yesterday drove the new $1 millionrescue boat home, ready for its launch in August. But filling it with 700 litres of fuel was the first stop before tucking it into its purpose-built shed. The Riverton crew will take the boat through sea trials before its official launch on Riverton's high tide on August 16. The vessel replaces the 25-year-old 8.5m Naiad, also called the Russell John Chisholm, named after a 7-year-old boy whose body was never found after a Cessna carrying 10 passengers plunged into Foveaux Strait in 1998. Built by Gough Bros in Invercargill, the 10m hard-top Naiad is powered by twin V6 350 Yamaha outboard engines and equipped with autopilot search patterns, a Forward Looking Infrared thermal image camera and night-vision cameras. — Toni McDonald
1News
24-06-2025
- 1News
Poor seamanship, lack of proper charts led to Hauraki Gulf grounding
Poor seamanship and a failure to carry proper charts caused a Japanese fishing boat to hit rocks in the Hauraki Gulf last year, an investigation has found. About 3.40am on April 16, 2024, the Chokyu Maru No.68 was approaching Auckland when it struck The Noises, a group of islands about 25km northeast of the city. The ship sustained a small hole in its bow and damage to its propeller, but none of the 27 crew on board was injured and there was no oil leak or other environmental damage. The 48-metre vessel was refloated later that morning and towed to port for repairs. The grounding sparked an investigation by the Transport Accident Investigation Commission (TAIC), which released its findings late last week. ADVERTISEMENT Acting chief investigator of accidents Louise Cooke said it was a "textbook example" of what could happen when the basics of good seamanship were ignored. "Basic seamanship is the core issue of this accident. Crew leaders must always plan the voyage, know the hazards, and verify position. This isn't optional, it's basic good seamanship and it's required all over the world," she said. The TAIC report found the Chokyu Maru No.68 had left Japan without large-scale paper charts —in particular a crucial chart showing the approaches to Auckland — or nautical publications setting out the safest route into Waitematā Harbour. The longliner also left Japan without a formal voyage plan. In the absence of detailed paper charts, the master relied on the chart plotter to determine the ship's position. However, electronic charts for New Zealand had not been installed, so the plotter did not display the small islands of the Hauraki Gulf. The TAIC investigation also found only one of the vessel's two radar units was in use at the time, because the crew believed the second unit was broken. ADVERTISEMENT It was in fact working, but the settings were unsuitable for identifying hazards. Without detailed charts or information about navigational risks, the master set a straight-line course to Auckland in the mistaken belief there was safe water all the way. The TAIC report stated it was "virtually certain" the crew would have identified the hazards and plotted a safe course, had they prepared a voyage plan in advance using proper charts and publications. The key lesson from the Chokyu Maru No.68 grounding was the "fundamental importance" of a well-researched and documented voyage plan. Since the accident, Cooke said Maritime NZ had taken steps to improve the safety of foreign-flagged fishing vessels in New Zealand waters. She said Maritime NZ inspectors now had better tools to identify and address safety issues, thanks to better access to world-wide data and the inclusion of fishing vessels in the international inspection regime. TAIC investigations aim to establish the cause of transport accidents and prevent similar incidents happening again. They do not seek to assign blame or lead to prosecution. ADVERTISEMENT
RNZ News
24-06-2025
- RNZ News
Chokyu Maru No.68 grounding: Poor seamanship, failure to carry proper charts led to Hauraki Gulf grounding
Failures of basic seamanship led to the grounding of a Japanese fishing boat in Auckland's Hauraki Gulf last year, the Transport Accident Investigation Commission has found. Photo: Supplied / Auckland Harbourmaster Poor seamanship and a failure to carry proper charts caused a Japanese fishing boat to hit rocks in the Hauraki Gulf last year, an investigation has found. About 3.40am on 16 April 2024, the Chokyu Maru No.68 was approaching Auckland when it struck The Noises, a group of islands about 25km northeast of the city. The ship sustained a small hole in its bow and damage to its propeller, but none of the 27 crew on board was injured and there was no oil leak or other environmental damage. The 48-metre vessel was refloated later that morning and towed to port for repairs. The grounding sparked an investigation by the Transport Accident Investigation Commission (TAIC), which released its findings late last week. Acting chief investigator of accidents Louise Cooke said it was a "textbook example" of what could happen when the basics of good seamanship were ignored. "Basic seamanship is the core issue of this accident. Crew leaders must always plan the voyage, know the hazards, and verify position. This isn't optional, it's basic good seamanship and it's required all over the world," she said. The TAIC report found the Chokyu Maru No.68 had left Japan without large-scale paper charts - in particular a crucial chart showing the approaches to Auckland - or nautical publications setting out the safest route into Waitematā Harbour. The longliner also left Japan without a formal voyage plan. In the absence of detailed paper charts, the master relied on the chart plotter to determine the ship's position. However, electronic charts for New Zealand had not been installed, so the plotter did not display the small islands of the Hauraki Gulf. The TAIC investigation also found only one of the vessel's two radar units was in use at the time, because the crew believed the second unit was broken. It was in fact working, but the settings were unsuitable for identifying hazards. Without detailed charts or information about navigational risks, the master set a straight-line course to Auckland in the mistaken belief there was safe water all the way. The TAIC report stated it was "virtually certain" the crew would have identified the hazards and plotted a safe course, had they prepared a voyage plan in advance using proper charts and publications. The key lesson from the Chokyu Maru No.68 grounding was the "fundamental importance" of a well-researched and documented voyage plan. Since the accident, Cooke said Maritime NZ had taken steps to improve the safety of foreign-flagged fishing vessels in New Zealand waters. She said Maritime NZ inspectors now had better tools to identify and address safety issues, thanks to better access to world-wide data and the inclusion of fishing vessels in the international inspection regime. TAIC investigations aim to establish the cause of transport accidents and prevent similar incidents happening again. They do not seek to assign blame or lead to prosecution.
