Air New Zealand Flight 4374

Air New Zealand Flight 4374

An Air New Zealand Fokker F27 similar to the one involved.
Accident
Date	17 February 1979
Summary	Controlled flight into terrain
Site	Manukau Harbour
Aircraft
Aircraft type	Fokker F-27 Friendship
Operator	Air New Zealand
Registration	ZK-NFC
Flight origin	Gisborne Airport
Destination	Auckland International Airport
Passengers	2
Crew	2
Fatalities	2
Injuries	2
Survivors	2

Air New Zealand Flight 4374 was a flight from Gisborne which crashed while landing at Auckland, killing two of the four on board.

Aircraft

The Fokker Friendship F27-500 was eight years old at the time of the crash. Until 1977 the aircraft had been operated by the New Zealand National Airways Corporation (NAC) as the result of merger.

Crash

At 14:28 the aircraft had descended to 3000 feet and the pilots deployed the flaps. The aircraft's speed was 165 knots, and increased to 211 knots; 2 minutes 14 seconds later the aircraft crashed into the harbour killing two, the captain and a passenger.

Recovery of aircraft from harbour in Mangere, Auckland

Cause

The investigation found that the crew were likely misled by a visual illusion due to a rain shower obscuring the runway threshold during their base turn. This, coupled with a failure to monitor their flight instruments effectively, resulted in a controlled flight into terrain.

External links

• https://aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=19790217-1
• http://www.airport-data.com/aircraft/photo/001075653L.html