What happened
A flight departing from Waimate Airport for a local agricultural spraying task ended in a fatal accident. The aircraft, a single-engine airplane, was operated with two people on board: the pilot and one passenger. During the initial climb, while at an altitude estimated between 300 and 400 feet, the plane encountered a layer of stratus clouds.
During this period of low visibility, the engine experienced a loss of power. Following the engine failure, the aircraft transitioned into a nose-down descent, ultimately impacting the Waihao River. The impact resulted in the death of one passenger and left the pilot with serious injuries. The airframe was completely destroyed during the crash.
Findings
Investigations into the accident determined that the pilot experienced spatial disorientation while operating within the cloud layer. This disorientation occurred following the encounter with unidentified technical issues involving the engine's power output.