Incident Overview
Description
Cessna Caravan ZK-SFB was one of two Caravans being used for cargo flights between Wellington (WLG) and Christchurch (CHC). The pilot on one of these flights had worked for 18 hours before the accident, had loaded and unloaded by hand some ten tons of freight and was soaked by rain while doing so because no foul weather gear was provided. Also he did not have a proper meal break before the flight and was eating sweets to sustain himself. After departure the aircraft climbed to an altitude of 11000 feet. Since the pilot had no oxygen indoctrination course, he would have been mildly hypoxic. Around midnight the aircraft encountered severe icing. The aircraft had no airframe de-icing equipment and the airspeed dropped until it stalled. The Caravan entered a spin and crashed into the sea off the Kaikoura Coast.
Primary Cause
Lack of adequate airframe de-icing equipment and insufficient meal break during a critical flight.Lack of adequate airframe de-icing equipment and insufficient meal break during a critical flight.Share on:
