On June 9 1995 an Ansett New Zealand Dash-8 aircraft crashed into a hill
side while on approach to Palmerston North airport.  One crew member
(cabin staff) and three passengers were killed.  The crash was rather
noteworthy at the time because of the circumstances of the rescue of the
rest of the passengers.  A passenger was the first to raise the alarm by
using his cell phone.  Emergency services were surprised get a telephone
call from a person sitting on a grass hillside surrounded by low cloud
saying that he did not know where he was but he and other survivors
required urgent help. Over the next few hours searchers were guided
through mist and cloud to the crash site by the person on the cell phone
telling them when the sound of a rescue helicopter was getting nearer or
farther away.
The cause of the crash was known almost immediatly.  The crew had
problems with the undercarriage, passengers had even told the cabin
staff that the wheels were not fully down on one side (high wing
aircraft).  While trying to fix the problem the aircraft descended
into terrain.  For various reasons the official report was not able
to be released due to legal arguments until now.  The crash has now
become internationally noteworthy as Police wanted access to the
cockpit voice recorder tape to see if they should charge the crew with
manslaughter. This was argued in the courts for some time but the
police finally won and now have possesion of the tape.
The following is a summary from newspaper reports of the the CVR and
the accident report.
09:20:06  Captain asks First Officer to lower the undercarriage.
          FO aknowledges
09:20:14  FO says aircraft is flying a little low.
09:20:33  Capt notices the landing gear problem and whistles.
          FO: (expletive), look at that,
          Capt: I don't want that.
09:20:36  FO: No, (expletive), Yeah, thats not good is it, so she's not
          locked, so, alternate landing gear.
09:20:42  Capt tells FO to grab the aircrafts Quick Reference Handbook
          for check list on alternate landing gear opperation.
09:20:45  Capt: Whip through that one (Quick Ref Handbook -QRH) see if
          we can get it out of the way before its to late.
          FO: Yeah right.
          Capt: And I'll keep an eye on the aeroplane while you are
          doing that.
          FO: Yeah, ok.
09:20:57  A flight attendant enters the cockpit and tells the Capt
          that the starboard undercarriage has not extended.  The Capt.
          says that they know and are sorting it out.  She goes back to
          reassure passengers.  (Report says she should have strapped
          herself in at this point).
09:21:19  Capt. tells FO to skip down the QRH to the "Actual applicable
          stuff".  The FO misses two important items on the check list
          diverting the Capt. from monitoring the flight path.  Report
          says the Capt. should by now have abandoned the approach.
09:22:15  Capt: You're supposed to pull the handle (laughter).
09:22:16  FO: Yeah, its got it actually after that, yeah, that's pulled,
          here we go.
09:22:25  Ground prox. warning sounds: Terrain, Whoop, Whoop...Pull up.
09:22:30  Impact with rising ground.
Ground prox warning only gave five seconds warning - it should have been
arround 17 seconds.
This type of aircraft has had several similar undercarriage problems
since entering service with the airline three years earlier.
The report says the airline procedures should have had the undercarriage
lowered earlier in the approach sequence.
Court action has now started for damages for 17 of the passengers.
I think you will all agree that this was another example of not `FLYING'
the aeroplane first and sorting out problems at a safe height, and in a
safe place.  Air Traffic Control was never advised of any problems.  It
was a miracle that nearly everyone survived.  The aircraft belly landed
up slope on open grass feild and shed wings, broke its back etc as it
travelled up slope (looks like about 30 - 40 degree slope from photos).
One of the unfortunate passengers survived the impact, exited the
aircraft but was then caught in a `flash fire' while standing next to
the aircraft and died later from burns.
                                           -=RH=-
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