ASN Aircraft accident Convair CV-580 ZK-FTB Auckland International Airport (AKL)
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Status:Accident investigation report completed and information captured
Date:Monday 31 July 1989
Time:22:00
Type:Silhouette image of generic CVLT model; specific model in this crash may look slightly different
Convair CV-580
Operator:Air Freight NZ
Registration: ZK-FTB
MSN: 180
First flight: 1954
Total airframe hrs:29999
Engines: 2 Allison 501-D13D
Crew:Fatalities: 3 / Occupants: 3
Passengers:Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 0
Total:Fatalities: 3 / Occupants: 3
Aircraft damage: Destroyed
Aircraft fate: Written off (damaged beyond repair)
Location:Auckland International Airport (AKL) (   New Zealand)
Crash site elevation: 7 m (23 feet) amsl
Phase: Initial climb (ICL)
Nature:Cargo
Departure airport:Auckland International Airport (AKL/NZAA), New Zealand
Destination airport:Christchurch International Airport (CHC/NZCH), New Zealand
Flightnumber: 1
Narrative:
Flight Air Freight 1 was a scheduled night freight flight between Palmerston North, Auckland and Christchurch. The crew consisted of a training captain and two new co-pilots who were to fly alternate legs as co-pilot and observer. The co-pilot’s ADI of the Convair CV-580 in question had a known intermittent defect, but had been retained in service. The aircraft’s MEL however did not permit this flight to be undertaken with an unserviceable ADI. The aircraft nevertheless departed Palmerston North and arrived at Auckland at about 20:30. It was unloaded and reloaded with 11 pallets of cargo. On the next leg, to Christchurch, the handling pilot was to be the other co-pilot. Although she had completed her type rating on the Convair 580 this was her first line flight as a crew member. The flight was cleared to taxi to runway 23 for departure. Takeoff was commenced at 21:59. The aircraft climbed to a height of approx. 400 feet when it pitched down. It entered a gradual descent until it contacted the ground 387 m beyond the end of runway 23 and 91 m left of the extended centreline. The aircraft then crashed and broke up in the tidal waters of Manukau Harbour.

Probable Cause:

PROBABLE CAUSE: "The probable cause of this accident was the training captain’s failure to monitor the aircraft’s climb flightpath during the critical stage of the climb after take-off."

Accident investigation:

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Investigating agency: TAIC New Zealand
Status: Investigation completed
Duration: 2 years
Accident number: 89-064
Download report: Final report

Classification:
ADI issues
Controlled Flight Into Terrain (CFIT) - Water

Sources:
» Aircraft Accident Report No. 89-064
» ICAO Adrep Summary 6/91 (#8)


Follow-up / safety actions

TAIC issued 8 Safety Recommendations

Show all...

Photos

photo of Convair-CV-580-ZK-FTB
accident date: 31-07-1989
type: Convair CV-580
registration: ZK-FTB
photo of Convair-CV-580-N14278
accident date: 31-07-1989
type: Convair CV-580
registration: N14278
 

Aircraft history
date registration operator remarks
27 May 1954 N73154 United Air Lines delivered
19 Jan. 1955 N73154 United Air Lines substantial damage in emergency landing near Dexter, IA
1 March 1968 N73154 Tex Johnston bought
Nov. 1968 N73154 Tex Johnston converted to CV-580
August 1969 N73154 Aero Spacelines
Oct. 1972 N73154 Armstrong Cork Company
June 1973 N14278 Armstrong Cork Company new registration
March 1984 N14278 Hubbard Broadcasting Inc
Oct. 1988 N14278 AHW Inc.
17 May 1989 C-FEDO Kelowna Flightcraft Charter
18 July 1989 ZK-FTB Fieldair registered
31 July 1989 ZK-FTB Fieldair Crashed at Auckland

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 Auckland International Airport to Christchurch International Airport as the crow flies is 744 km (465 miles).
Accident location: Exact; as reported in the official accident report.

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.
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