What happened
On 22 November 2005, a Fletcher FU24-950 agricultural aircraft, registration ZK-DZG, was performing a ferry flight toward Whangarei Aerodrome. The aircraft was operated by Super Air Limited and was carrying a pilot and a loader-driver.
During the flight, the aircraft's vertical fin experienced a structural failure. This loss of stability rendered the aircraft uncontrollable, causing it to enter a steep, descending turn. The aircraft subsequently impacted trees in the Pukenui Forest, approximately 5 kilometres west of Whangarei. The impact destroyed the aircraft, and both occupants sustained fatal injuries.
The investigation
The investigation examined the structural integrity of the aircraft's empennage and the impact of engine modifications on the airframe. Investigators analyzed the aircraft's GPS data, which showed the flight path deviated from the direct route to Whangarei before the descent began.
Technical examinations focused on the vertical fin's leading edge. The investigation also looked into the Supplemental Type Certificate (STC) process used to retrofit the aircraft with a Walter turbine engine, evaluating whether the increased performance of the turbine engine placed additional stress on the existing airframe design.