Ansett New Zealand Flight 703
Encyclopedia
Ansett New Zealand Flight 703 was an Ansett New Zealand
scheduled passenger transport flight from Auckland Airport to Palmerston North
. On 9 June 1995, the Dash 8 aircraft flying this route crashed west of the Tararua Ranges and 16 km east of Palmerston North airport, during an instrument approach in bad weather. The aircraft was carrying 18 passengers and three crew members. All passengers were New Zealand citizens except for one United States citizen.
During the approach to a right turn which would place the aircraft on final approach to runway 25, the right landing gear
failed to fully extend so the co-pilot began to manually extend it using a hydraulic pump. The aircraft's power settings had already been reduced to Flight Idle which was normal, but the aircraft was inadvertently allowed to descend too low toward the undulating terrain leading into Palmerston North.
Although Ansett New Zealand Flight 703's Ground Proximity Warning System
sounded an alarm four seconds before the aircraft hit the ground, the crew was unable to avoid the accident. According to the Transport Accident Investigation Commission
(TAIC) report an audio alarm of "Terrain! Terrain! Pull up!" should have sounded 17 seconds before impact, but the GPWS malfunctioned, for reasons which have never been determined. There was an investigation by the New Zealand Police in 2001 into whether or not a mobile phone
call from the aircraft may have interfered with the system. The official crash report does mention the following on page 69:
Captain Sotheran's defence was that 4.5 seconds before impact the radio altimeter display flipped 1000 feet in altitude as he watched.
critically burned him. He died from his injuries two weeks later. Thus three passengers also died and many others sustained injuries.
For his bravery in a dangerous situation, Dixon was awarded the New Zealand Cross
, New Zealand's highest award for civilian bravery.
Ansett New Zealand
Ansett New Zealand was a wholly owned airline subsidiary of Ansett Australia, serving the New Zealand domestic market between 1987 and 2000. In order to comply with regulatory requirements relating to the acquisition of Ansett Australia by Air New Zealand, Ansett New Zealand was sold to News...
scheduled passenger transport flight from Auckland Airport to Palmerston North
Palmerston North
Palmerston North is the main city of the Manawatu-Wanganui region of the North Island of New Zealand. It is an inland city with a population of and is the country's seventh largest city and eighth largest urban area. Palmerston North is located in the eastern Manawatu Plains near the north bank...
. On 9 June 1995, the Dash 8 aircraft flying this route crashed west of the Tararua Ranges and 16 km east of Palmerston North airport, during an instrument approach in bad weather. The aircraft was carrying 18 passengers and three crew members. All passengers were New Zealand citizens except for one United States citizen.
During the approach to a right turn which would place the aircraft on final approach to runway 25, the right landing gear
Undercarriage
The undercarriage or landing gear in aviation, is the structure that supports an aircraft on the ground and allows it to taxi, takeoff and land...
failed to fully extend so the co-pilot began to manually extend it using a hydraulic pump. The aircraft's power settings had already been reduced to Flight Idle which was normal, but the aircraft was inadvertently allowed to descend too low toward the undulating terrain leading into Palmerston North.
Although Ansett New Zealand Flight 703's Ground Proximity Warning System
Ground Proximity Warning System
A ground proximity warning system is a system designed to alert pilots if their aircraft is in immediate danger of flying into the ground or an obstacle. The United States Federal Aviation Administration defines GPWS as a type of terrain awareness warning system...
sounded an alarm four seconds before the aircraft hit the ground, the crew was unable to avoid the accident. According to the Transport Accident Investigation Commission
Transport Accident Investigation Commission
The Transport Accident Investigation Commission is a transport safety body of New Zealand. It has its headquarters on the 16th floor of the AXA Centre in Wellington.It was established by Act of the Parliament of New Zealand on 1 September 1990...
(TAIC) report an audio alarm of "Terrain! Terrain!
Mobile phone
A mobile phone is a device which can make and receive telephone calls over a radio link whilst moving around a wide geographic area. It does so by connecting to a cellular network provided by a mobile network operator...
call from the aircraft may have interfered with the system. The official crash report does mention the following on page 69:
"The aircraft manufacturer’s avionics representative advised that there was no likelihood that the operation of a computer, other electronic device or a cell phone would have affected the aircraft’s flight instruments."
Captain Sotheran's defence was that 4.5 seconds before impact the radio altimeter display flipped 1000 feet in altitude as he watched.
Concealment that radio altimeter aerials were painted
Later study of Ansett NZ Flt 703's GPWS indicated its antennas had been painted and this possibly reduced its ability to provide a timely alarm, although later comments by TAIC insisted the paint did not block or reflect signals This antenna is clearly embossed with the words, do not paint, a warning that was not heeded. In addition the antenna is in a location that could easily be seen during a visual inspection by either maintenance or flight personnel. Bench testing of the radio altimeter proved the unit was still functioning perfectly after its recovery from the wreckage.Crash site
Flight 703 pancaked onto a hilltop and broke up as it slid along the ground, killing a flight attendant instantly. Passenger Reginald John Dixon tried to free two others trapped near the wing root as the wreckage caught fire. He failed to free them and a flash fireFlash fire
A flash fire is a sudden, intense fire caused by ignition of a mixture of air and a dispersed flammable substance such as a solid , flammable or combustible liquid , or a flammable gas...
critically burned him. He died from his injuries two weeks later. Thus three passengers also died and many others sustained injuries.
For his bravery in a dangerous situation, Dixon was awarded the New Zealand Cross
New Zealand Cross (1999)
The New Zealand Cross is New Zealand's highest award for civilian bravery. It was instituted by Royal Warrant on 20 September 1999 as part of the move to replace British bravery awards with an indigenous New Zealand Bravery system. The medal, which may be awarded posthumously, is granted in...
, New Zealand's highest award for civilian bravery.
Aircraft
The aircraft, , a de Havilland Canada DHC-8, was manufactured in Canada.See also
- List of accidents and incidents on commercial airliners
- Air New Zealand Flight 901Air New Zealand Flight 901Air New Zealand Flight 901 was a scheduled Air New Zealand Antarctic sightseeing flight that operated between 1977 and 1979, from Auckland Airport to Antarctica and return via Christchurch...
- New Zealand National Airways Corporation Flight 441New Zealand National Airways Corporation Flight 441New Zealand National Airways Corporation Flight 441 was a scheduled flight of New Zealand's National Airways Corporation from Whenuapai to Tauranga. On 3 July 1963 at approximately 9:09 am NZST the flight, a Douglas DC-3 Skyliner, flew into a vertical rock face in the Kaimai Ranges near Mount...
- Ground Proximity Warning SystemGround Proximity Warning SystemA ground proximity warning system is a system designed to alert pilots if their aircraft is in immediate danger of flying into the ground or an obstacle. The United States Federal Aviation Administration defines GPWS as a type of terrain awareness warning system...
External links
- "de Havilland DHC-8 ZK-NEY, controlled flight into terrain, near Palmerston North, 9 June 1995" - Transport Accident Investigation CommissionTransport Accident Investigation CommissionThe Transport Accident Investigation Commission is a transport safety body of New Zealand. It has its headquarters on the 16th floor of the AXA Centre in Wellington.It was established by Act of the Parliament of New Zealand on 1 September 1990...