Incident Overview

Date: Saturday 22 May 1954
Aircraft Type: Douglas DC-3D
Owner/operator: New Zealand National Airways Corporation – NAC
Registration Number: ZK-AQT
Location: 0,8 km SW of Paraparaumu Airport (PPQ) – ÿ New Zealand
Phase of Flight: Approach
Status: Destroyed, written off
Casualties: Fatalities: 3 / Occupants: 28
Component Affected: The DC-3’s starboard main tank.The DC-3’s starboard main tank.
Category: Accident
A DC-3 aircraft was on final approach to Paraparaumu Airport’s runway 03 when both engines failed simultaneously. The aircraft lost speed and height, rolled to the right, and collided with a house on Kohutuhutu Road, resulting in significant damage including a sheared wing and fire. Fuel exhaustion due to the starboard main tank was the probable cause.A DC-3 aircraft was on final approach to Paraparaumu Airport’s runway 03 when both engines failed simultaneously. The aircraft lost speed and height, rolled to the right, and collided with a house on Kohutuhutu Road, resulting in significant damage including a sheared wing and fire. Fuel exhaustion due to the starboard main tank was the probable cause.

Description

The was on final approach to Paraparaumu Airport’s runway 03 when both engines quit simultaneously. The airplane dangerously lost speed and height. Attempts to relight the engines were successful. The DC-3 climbed and rolled to the right until the wings assumed a vertical position. The wing then contacted a house on Kohutuhutu Road, causing the outer 12 feet to be sheared off. The airplane continued between two houses, struck trees and powerlines before coming to rest. A fire broke out in the starboard wing area. PROBABLE CAUSE: “a) Either throughout the flight or a substantial portion of it both engines were drawing fuel from the starboard main tank. b) The selector valves or valve were moved after the engines out, and the valves, when found and checked later, indicated a final setting of each engine to its respective port and starboard main tank. c) The total fuel usage recorded for sixty hours of service by the engines of this aircraft prior to this flight establish that the fuel was used normally by each engine from each tank and that there was no malfunction of the selector equipment. d) The failure of the engines of this aircraft was due to the exhaustion of fuel in the starboard main tank, to which both engines had been selected. e) Having regard to the position and condition of the aircraft at the time of engine failure the subsequent accident to the aircraft was inevitable.”

Primary Cause

a) Either throughout the flight or a substantial portion of it both engines were drawing fuel from the starboard main tank.a) Either throughout the flight or a substantial portion of it both engines were drawing fuel from the starboard main tank.

Share on:

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *