What happened
An aircraft operating on behalf of Eagle Airways departed from runway 36 at Hamilton Airport, bound for New Plymouth. During the initial climb, while the aircraft was at an altitude of approximately 5,000 feet, the crew reported a failure of the left engine to air traffic control. Following this report, the flight was authorized to perform an emergency return to the airport.
Four minutes after the initial engine failure, the right engine also ceased to function. Deprived of power, the aircraft type lost altitude and impacted an open field situated roughly 9 km from Hamilton Airport. The accident resulted in six fatalities among the occupants.
Findings
- The flight experienced a successive failure of both engines during the climb phase.
- The loss of all propulsion led to the inability to maintain altitude, resulting in the crash.