Accident Overview
On the morning of the accident, the pilot and loader driver arrived at the airstrip in the Fletcher ZK-CLI, having flown from Stratford. The previous day, they had been working at the same farm. At approximately 08:35, a break in operations was taken for refueling. The Fletcher became airborne again at about 08:45, carrying 16 hundredweight (815 kg) of fertilizer. The pilot flew towards an area of river flat enclosed in a horseshoe bend in the Patea River, surrounded by higher ground.
Meanwhile, the loader driver reversed his vehicle to the superphosphate bin and began filling the bucket in preparation for the next sortie. As he did so, he heard the sound of an impact. Hurrying back to the airstrip, he saw the Fletcher crashed nose down on a hillside above the opposite bank of the Patea River, about 1,200 meters to the northeast of the strip. The driver estimated that about a minute and a half had elapsed between takeoff and the sound of the crash.
Crash Site and Aftermath
The aircraft was wrecked. There was no fire. The pilot was found dead. The weather was fine with a light breeze. Flying conditions were not considered to be a factor in the accident. The condition of the propeller showed that the engine was producing power at the time of impact. The gross weight and center of gravity were within permitted limits. Evidence showed about 250 kg of fertilizer at the crash site.
Investigation Findings
It is believed that the pilot had carried out two sowing runs on the river flat area and was climbing away steeply to clear an adjacent ridge when control was lost during a turn and the plane dived into the ground.