Lack of training led to Urewera crash - TAIC

A 22-year-old pilot who died in an air crash in the Ureweras in 2007 had insufficient training to be flying in the mountainous terrain, an investigation has found.

Aleisha O'Reilly, a flight instructor, was killed on October 26, 2007, when the two-seater Cessna 152 she was flying crashed during a training flight.

Chris Slee, a 21-year-old flight student, suffered a broken leg and finger, and facial injuries in the accident.

A Transport Accident Investigation Commission report said the accident happened when the plane entered a narrow rising valley and Ms O'Reilly attempted to manoeuvre out of the valley, hitting several trees.

Eyewitness accounts suggested the aircraft was flown significantly below the minimum height requirement of 500 feet (152m) above terrain, the report said.

"The evidence showed that the accident occurred because the instructor made a decision to carry out or allow unnecessary low flying against Civil Aviation Rules in mountainous terrain, for which she was not trained.

"Consequently she unwittingly allowed the aircraft to enter a narrow valley at a height which, given the performance capabilities of the aircraft, it was not possible to turn around or out-climb the rising terrain."

Given that the instructor undertook low flying, did not climb early and entered the valley at a height that made escape impossible, there was an indication she had a lack of knowledge about the dangers of flying in mountainous terrain, the report found.

The commission said it had investigated five accidents in the past 15 years where 29 people had been killed as a direct result of inappropriate decision-making which had their origins in mountain-flying training.

As in the previous accidents, the commission recommended to the director of Civil Aviation that the syllabus for pilots be amended to include mandatory mountain training.

"The skill level of general aviation commercial aeroplane pilots flying around New Zealand needs to be raised by having formalised practical flying training on appropriate mountain-flying techniques."

- NZPA