Aircraft accident in Tory Channel during flight from Nelson to Wellington (ZK-EHT)

What happened

During a scheduled flight traveling from Nelson toward Wellington, a twin engine airplane was operating under favorable meteorological conditions. While the aircraft was in the cruise phase of its journey, it descended into power cables located near the Tory Channel. The impact with the lines caused the aircraft to crash into the water.

Following the accident, search and rescue efforts were able to locate one passenger who survived the impact. However, the remaining eight people on board lost their lives in the event.

Findings

Investigations into the accident determined that the pilot was unaware that the aircraft had reached an altitude too low to clear the local infrastructure. The primary factor in the crash was the insufficient altitude maintained during cruise.