No fatalities

1966-02-08: De Havilland DHC-2 Beaver (ZK-CGW) — Fieldair — Mauriceville, New Zealand

Mauriceville, New ZealandTakeoff (climb)

On February 8, 1966, a De Havilland DHC-2 Beaver (registration ZK-CGW) operated by Fieldair was involved in an aviation accident near Mauriceville, New Zealand during takeoff. No fatalities were reported. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The aircraft lost control during the takeoff roll due to the separation of the tailwheel. This summary draws on records from the Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives (B3A); 8 related events involving the same aircraft type or operator are linked below.

Sourcesthe Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives (B3A)Primary reportUpdated 1781241316Data APIEditorial standards

A tailwheel failure caused an aircraft to lose control and crash during its takeoff roll from Mauriceville, resulting in pilot injuries.

What happened

During a takeoff attempt from Mauriceville, the aircraft experienced a mechanical failure when the tailwheel detached from the airframe. This structural failure led to an immediate loss of directional control while the plane was still on the ground. The subsequent uncontrolled movement resulted in a crash at the airfield.

The incident resulted in one injury to the pilot. The aircraft, which sustained significant damage during the impact, was declared a total loss.

Findings

Investigations into the accident determined that the primary factor was the failure of the tailwheel assembly during the takeoff phase, which prevented the crew from maintaining the necessary flight path.

Probable cause

The aircraft lost control during the takeoff roll due to the separation of the tailwheel.