What happened
During a routine training exercise, the crew was flying at an altitude of approximately 2,000 feet when they lost control of the aircraft. The plane entered a dive and subsequently impacted the water surface just a few hundred yards from the shoreline. Both individuals on board were killed in the accident.
Findings
Investigations by the RNZAF indicated that the incident occurred while the crew was conducting maneuvers alongside another De Havilland DH.60. Both aircraft were engaged in testing machine gun systems at the time of the event. The official conclusion suggests that it is possible the crew of NZ522 was accidentally hit by fire from the other aircraft, leading to the loss of control and the fatal crash.