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Date: | Monday 8 August 1977 |
Time: | 21:30 |
Type: | Cessna 404 Titan |
Owner/operator: | Dalhoff & King Flying School Ltd |
Registration: | ZK-TAS |
MSN: | 404-0067 |
Fatalities: | Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 1 |
Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
Category: | Accident |
Location: | Sea off Motunau, Canterbury -
New Zealand
|
Phase: | En route |
Nature: | Cargo |
Departure airport: | Wellington |
Destination airport: | Christchurch |
Confidence Rating: | Information verified through data from accident investigation authorities |
Narrative:During a courier flight from Wellington to Christchurch, the pilot Victor Donnelly reported handling problems shortly after starting a descent from the cruising altitude of 10,000 feet. At 9:30 pm, he radioed Christchurch, saying "Tango Alpha Sierra - Mayday. I've lost control - I've shut an engine down - engine fires." and a few seconds later "I've lost it - I'm going to hit...
The crash site was not found and police investigated a possible theft of the aircraft. The official accident report gave possible causes as disorientation in cloud while trying to deal with an emergency, loss of control because of airframe ice build-up, structural failure with a severe fire in the engine bay, an explosion in hazardous cargo, a failure of the flying control system or possible criminal mischief.
Sources:
1.
http://archway.archives.govt.nz/ViewEntity.do?code=7333 2. King, John (1995). Aviation Accidents and Disasters. New Zealand Tragedies. Grantham House. pp. 127-128. ISBN 1 86934 042 6
3. Aircraft Accident Report No. 77-100
4. AHSNZ, 1981, Newsletter 6.
Revision history:
Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
22-May-2009 12:58 |
XLerate |
Added |
25-May-2009 00:24 |
XLerate |
Updated |
31-Dec-2010 17:04 |
TB |
Updated [Damage] |
08-Jan-2011 15:57 |
TB |
Updated [Time, Cn] |
29-May-2018 04:22 |
Ron Averes |
Updated [Operator, Location, Source, Narrative] |
22-Sep-2021 01:15 |
Ron Averes |
Updated [Location] |
01-Feb-2022 02:01 |
Ron Averes |
Updated [Location] |
11-Feb-2022 19:58 |
Ron Averes |
Updated [Location] |
27-Feb-2022 13:20 |
Ron Averes |
Updated [Source] |
27-Feb-2022 13:22 |
Ron Averes |
Updated [Source, Narrative] |