New Zealand News

A total of 26% fewer aircraft were “destroyed” last year, but a rise in helicopter and recreational accidents contributed to a 9% upswing in the number of aircraft “damaged”. The MoT says 1990 accident statistics show “no room for complacency”. Capt Roger DalzielI, civil aviation safety director, says the air transport division’s new safety audit approach and the Human Resource Development in Aviation (HURDA) program are aimed to reduce air accidents. The HURDA project, run in conjunction with Massey University at Palmerston North, in the North Island, concentrates on human factors and flight training syllabuses. It could, says Capt Dalziell, realistically cut human error accidents – which make up about 80% of all crashes -by 10% a year.

Meanwhile, air crash investigations, which have been taking up to two years, are to be completed more quickly following the appointment of an additional inspector. The addition means there are now five inspectors, including the acting chief executive of the Transport Accident Investigation Commission, Mr Ron Chippindale, who noted “We have been one inspector short for nearly two years. ” Mr Chippindale said in the last two years there had been about 250 more accidents, most of which had been investigated promptly.

Reports on four 1989 accidents -which resulted in a total of 22 deaths – are due soon. The accidents go back to May 1989, when two Singaporeans were killed in a helicopter crash on Fox Glacier, South Island. Then in July a Convair 580 plunged into Manukau Harbour, Auckland, killing three crew. The following month nine tourists and their New Zealand pilot died in Fiordland, South Island. A midair crash in Fiordland that December also resulted in the deaths of six Japanese tourists and their New Zealand pilot.

Air Safety Charges Cut

Aviation safety charges have been reduced 15% pending completion of a Ministry of Transport review.

The Minister of Transport, Mr Storey, said the reduction in fees was an interim measure. He also said the government had decided to set up a new stand alone civil aviation authority. It would carry out the regulatory and safety functions of the Air Transport Division of the MoT. Aviation policy functions would stay with the ministry. Mr Storey said decisions on the final shape of the new authority had not been made; he wants to canvass possible options with the aviation industry.

The chief executive of the Airways Corporation, Andrew Makin, says the Corporation is opposed to the stand alone civil aviation authority. The Corporation looks after air traffic control, and Mr Makin says New Zealand would become the laughing stock of the international aviation industry if the Corporation was incorporated back into a regulatory body.

Still with the MoT -the ministry’s air transport division reports that aviation inspectors are coming here from overseas following recruiting difficulties in New Zealand. Eight flight operation inspectors and airworthiness inspectors from abroad were bound for New Zealand. One is an Australian and there are three Canadians, two Britons, an American and a Malaysian. All were recruited after answering advertisements published internationally.

Eagle Air’s Big Boost

Eagle Air in spending up to $NZ13m on two 19 seat Fairchild Metroliners. The Hamilton (North Island) based airline says the aircraft will be flying by 1 July on the Gisborne/ Auckland and Palmerston North/Hamilton routes. Eagle has also leased a Metroliner from Air Nelson for its Gisborne/Auckland route, cutting 20 minutes off the service.

Rnzaf Needs to Be Assessed

After being told it would cost about $NZ150m to break a contract with the Italian manufacturers of 18 Aermacchi MB. 339 jet trainers, the government is going ahead with the $NZ266m order.

The Prime Minister, Mr Bolger, said it was “too late” to terminate the contract. He also said the government would examine the need for the Royal New Zealand Air Force to have all the 18 Italian jet trainers, as well as the possibility of selling some to other nations.

The government, said the Prime Minister, would also take a more detailed look at whether shared pilot training with Australia was possible. Three of the two seater, subsonic Aermacchi trainers are now at the Chakea air base in the North Island. The Italian trainers were ordered to replace the Strikemasters, bought in 1972 and now affected by metal fatigue, and nearing the end of their economic life. The RNZAF says seven of the 14 Strikemasters have structural defects. The Aermacchi purchase includes spares, support equipment, initial operational and technical training and a cockpit simulator.

Seven Aermacchi personnel are overseeing the Ohakea reassembly work. Flight trials were made in Italy before the jet trainers were air freighted to NZ. Questions have repeatedly been asked why large sums are being spent on new jet trainers given the age and small number of the RNZAF’s strike aircraft, the Skyhawks. The RNZAF says jet trainers allow pilots to be trained to the highest standards, even though they may later crew transport aircraft or helicopters.

Soviet Landing Rights Talks

New Zealand is ready to negotiate an agreement giving landing rights to the Soviet airline Aeroflot.

Political changes and the deregulation of New Zealand skies now make an agreement far more likely, observers say. The Soviet Union was for 20 years denied rights for charter flights carrying crews for its joint venture fishing fleets.

The New Zealand government is now waiting for proposals from the Soviet Union, though there are no suggestions of regular air links between the two nations. Aeroflot’s Antonov 124 freighters have collected cargo from New Zealand in recent years.

In Brief

• A terrapin turtle was found walking across a passenger gangway by an Air New Zealand hostess on a 767 flight from Perth to Christchurch -and 19 more were found in a pack tucked into the top of a passenger’s trousers. Chemistry student Clinton Thomas Mills, 22, who admitted illegally importing the turtles, was sentenced to 80 hours of community service by a Christchurch district court judge.

• A “reasonable loss” looks more and more likely for Air New Zealand over the 15 months to 30 June, according to chief executive Jim Scott. An estimate that the airline would break even for the period to 30 June now appeared optimistic, he said. But Air New Zealand was confident of a profit for 1992, he said