On November 5, 1994, a Fletcher FU-24 (registration ZK-EFO) operated by Menary Aviation was involved in an aviation accident near Kaikohe, New Zealand in flight. One person was killed. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The position of the turn towards the higher ground may have deprived the pilot of a visual horizon causing him to fly too slowly and the plane to stall and spin. No technical anomalies were found on the aircraft. This summary draws on records from the Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives (B3A).
A pilot conducting a spraying mission near Kaikohe was killed when his aircraft crashed after banking left at low height in good weather. The accident occurred 500 meters from the aerodrome.
Accident Details
The accident occurred shortly after 0700 local time. The pilot, who was the sole occupant, had just completed the first sowing operation of a spraying mission. While flying at low altitude in good weather conditions, the aircraft initiated a left bank reaching an angle of 45 degrees. Subsequently, the nose dropped to 30 degrees and the aircraft impacted the ground approximately 500 meters from the Kaikohe Aerodrome. The aircraft was destroyed in the crash, and the pilot sustained fatal injuries.
Investigation Findings
Investigators determined that the position of the turn towards higher ground may have deprived the pilot of a visual horizon. This could have led to the pilot flying too slowly, causing the aircraft to stall and enter a spin. No technical anomalies were discovered on the aircraft.
Probable cause
The position of the turn towards the higher ground may have deprived the pilot of a visual horizon causing him to fly too slowly and the plane to stall and spin. No technical anomalies were found on the aircraft.