Latest news with #TransportAccidentInvestigationCommission
Otago Daily Times
4 days ago
- General
- Otago Daily Times
Cargo ship may be months in berth
A bulk cargo ship — under investigation for a boiler explosion last weekend — may be stuck in Bluff for some months. The Transport Accident Investigation Commission (Taic) and Maritime New Zealand is looking into an explosion on the ship Olivia, which was berthed in Bluff. The accident happened at 4.30am last Saturday. Three people were taken to Southland Hospital. A commission spokesman said the incident occurred while the Malta-registered bulk carrier was berthed at South Port. Three crew members were working on a boiler in the engine room when there was an explosion or flashback, injuring all three. One person had hospital-level burns while the other two crew members had only minor burns, the spokesman said. The 12-year-old ship was moved to berth five at the port on Wednesday afternoon. A three-person team — a former ship captain, a senior engineer and a data extraction expert — from Taic have been at the ship investigating the incident. They interviewed all members of the crew and any other people involved. They also took photographs of the affected areas. The commission would look into the incident but any report would be 18 months to two years away. A Maritime NZ spokesman said it was investigating. Many notifiable incidents at ports are investigated by Maritime NZ. Maritime NZ can consider prosecution as it is designated to oversee port safety through an agreement with WorkSafe. The commission did not have the power to keep a ship at a berth but it had put a protection order over parts of the ship as it gathered evidence. Once the commission moved out of evidence gathering — which usually takes a few months — it would write to the ship owner to say the protection order would be lifted and it was free to sail. Maritime NZ was limited in what it could say as it might prosecute. The commission does not look into laying blame but instead considers what can be learned from the incident.
National Business Review
5 days ago
- Climate
- National Business Review
Late manual control move cited in B777 landing accident report
A rough landing at Auckland Airport, in which an Air New Zealand Boeing 777-319ER veered off the runway, was due to heavy rain, a wind change, and a likely late transition from autopilot to manual control, a traffic accident report has found. The Transport Accident Investigation Commission (TAIC)
Scoop
5 days ago
- Climate
- Scoop
Boeing 777 Veered Off Auckland Airport Runway Jan 2023
Press Release – Transport Accident Investigation Commission The Commissions report describes how the Boeing 777, ZK-OKN was on a scheduled flight from Melbourne to Auckland. On approach to Auckland, it encountered heavy rain and the wind changed in direction and strength. The Transport Accident Investigation Commission (TAIC) has released its final report on the incident on the evening of 27 January 2023 when a Boeing 777 passenger aircraft veered off the runway at Auckland International Airport. The veer-off likely happened because heavy rain contributed to a late transition from autopilot to manual control. Since the incident, the aircraft's operator, Air New Zealand, has amended its operational procedures and information and has provided training to reinforce the technique for smooth transition from autopilot to manual control. 'TAIC welcomes the safety actions taken by the operator and is making no new recommendations,' says TAIC Chief Investigator of Accidents Naveen Kozhuppakalam. The Commission's report describes how the Boeing 777, ZK-OKN was on a scheduled flight from Melbourne to Auckland. On approach to Auckland, it encountered heavy rain and the wind changed in direction and strength. 'The autopilot was disengaged at 67 feet (20 metres) above the runway, when the operator's procedures suggested it occur at 300–600 feet (90–180 m),' said Mr Kozhuppakalam. 'It's very likely there was insufficient time for the pilot to prevent the aircraft drifting away from the centre-line before landing and to stop it veering off the runway after landing.' The pilot regained control, completed the landing, and taxied the aircraft to the airport terminal. There were no injuries. TAIC found that the weather, while inclement, was above the minimum weather requirements throughout the approach and landing. 'This report is a lesson for all aircraft operators to ensure crews know and understand the operator's and aircraft manuals and procedures and are thoroughly briefed.'
Scoop
5 days ago
- General
- Scoop
Boeing 777 Veered Off Auckland Airport Runway Jan 2023
Press Release – Transport Accident Investigation Commission The Transport Accident Investigation Commission (TAIC) has released its final report on the incident on the evening of 27 January 2023 when a Boeing 777 passenger aircraft veered off the runway at Auckland International Airport. The veer-off likely happened because heavy rain contributed to a late transition from autopilot to manual control. Since the incident, the aircraft's operator, Air New Zealand, has amended its operational procedures and information and has provided training to reinforce the technique for smooth transition from autopilot to manual control. 'TAIC welcomes the safety actions taken by the operator and is making no new recommendations,' says TAIC Chief Investigator of Accidents Naveen Kozhuppakalam. The Commission's report describes how the Boeing 777, ZK-OKN was on a scheduled flight from Melbourne to Auckland. On approach to Auckland, it encountered heavy rain and the wind changed in direction and strength. 'The autopilot was disengaged at 67 feet (20 metres) above the runway, when the operator's procedures suggested it occur at 300–600 feet (90–180 m),' said Mr Kozhuppakalam. 'It's very likely there was insufficient time for the pilot to prevent the aircraft drifting away from the centre-line before landing and to stop it veering off the runway after landing.' The pilot regained control, completed the landing, and taxied the aircraft to the airport terminal. There were no injuries. TAIC found that the weather, while inclement, was above the minimum weather requirements throughout the approach and landing. 'This report is a lesson for all aircraft operators to ensure crews know and understand the operator's and aircraft manuals and procedures and are thoroughly briefed.'
1News
5 days ago
- Climate
- 1News
Why an Air NZ plane veered off runway when landing in Auckland
A late switch from autopilot to manual control due to heavy rain likely contributed to an Air New Zealand flight veering off the runway when landing at Auckland Airport. A recently released Transport Accident Investigation Commission report looked into the incident - in which there were no injuries - that occurred on January 27, 2023 - the night of the Auckland Anniversary floods. It found the veer-off likely happened because heavy rain had contributed to a late transition from autopilot to manual control. "The timing of the autopilot disengagement combined with the technique used by the pilot flying, very likely resulted in there being insufficient time to correct the flightpath of the aeroplane before landing," the TAIC report said. "The pilot flying was therefore unable to prevent the aeroplane drifting away from the centreline before landing and stop it veering off the runway after landing." ADVERTISEMENT TZK-OKN, a Boeing 777, was on a scheduled flight from Melbourne to Auckland. The planes wheel's following the incident. (Source: Supplied) On approach, the flight encountered heavy rain and wind, which changed in direction and strength. As the aircraft neared the runway, it began to drift right of the centreline. Soon after touchdown, it "veered" off the runway onto a sealed shoulder, striking six runway edge lights along the way. One of the runway lights damaged during the incident. (Source: Supplied) The pilot regained control and taxied the aircraft to the airport terminal. Nobody was injured. An inspection of the aircraft found six of the right landing gear tyres were damaged, with one deflated. The right brake assembly and wiring harness also suffered damage. ADVERTISEMENT Damage to one of the plane's tyres following the incident. (Source: Supplied) According to the report, the autopilot was disengaged at 20 metres, when operator procedures suggested it should occur at between 90 and 180 metres. "The late disengagement was likely because of the inclement weather on the approach," the report's findings said. "When the autopilot was disengaged, the autopilot control inputs ceased, and the flight and pilot controls returned to a neutral position. This resulted in the aircraft rolling to the right and drifting right of the centreline. "It is very likely that the pilot flying did not hold the same control inputs set by the autopilot when they disengaged the autopilot." The weather, while bad, had not met the minimum weather requirements throughout the approach and landing, and the commission said it was "exceptionally unlikely" that water on the runway caused the incident. Damage to one of the plane's tyres following the incident. (Source: Supplied) ADVERTISEMENT The commission found the approach and landing briefing did not meet the operator's guidelines - although it was exceptionally unlikely it contributed to the incident. Since the incident, Air New Zealand has amended its operational procedures and information and has provided training to reinforce the technique for a smooth transition from autopilot to manual control. In a statement to 1News, the airline acknowledged the report and praised its staff for how they handled themselves during the incident. "The incident occurred during the onset of a severe weather event that caused widespread flooding in Auckland, and we recognise our crew for their professionalism in managing the aircraft under unexpected and challenging conditions," chief safety and risk officer Nathan McGraw said. "Our own investigation, conducted alongside the Commission's work, has led to safety enhancements, as referenced in the report. "We remain committed to continuously improving our training and operational procedures to uphold the highest standards of safety."
