2 fatalities

Training flight crash into Cook Strait with loss of two (ZK-ACZ)

Makara, New ZealandFlight

On March 22, 1937, a De Havilland DH.60 Moth (registration ZK-ACZ) operated by Western Federated Flying Club was involved in an aviation accident near Makara, New Zealand in flight. 2 people were killed. This summary draws on records from the Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives (B3A); 1 related events involving the same aircraft type or operator are linked below.

Sourcesthe Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives (B3A)Primary reportUpdated 2026-08-04Data APIEditorial standards

A student pilot and instructor disappeared after their single-engine aircraft crashed into the sea over the Cook Strait during a training flight in foggy conditions.

What happened

A student pilot and an instructor were conducting a training exercise that originated in Hokitika and was destined for New Plymouth. During the leg of the journey crossing the Cook Strait, the crew encountered foggy weather conditions. The single-engine aircraft subsequently impacted the water surface, resulting in a crash into the sea. The specific circumstances leading to the impact remained unknown at the time of reporting.

Search efforts located some debris on the shore several days after the incident. However, no trace of either member of the crew was found, and both were presumed lost.