On 3 May 2005, Metroliner SA227-AC, registered ZK-POA, was
operating a freight service from Auckland to Blenheim, New Zealand.
The aircraft was reported to have experienced an in-flight breakup
near Stratford and both pilots, the only occupants, were fatally
injured.
The Transport Accident Investigation Commission (TAIC) of New
Zealand was responsible for investigating this accident and
requested assistance from the Australian Transport Safety Bureau
(ATSB) to recover information from the flight recorders. In
accordance with the Transport Safety Investigation (TSI) Act 2003,
the Executive Director of the ATSB approved the request and the
recorders were transported to the ATSB by a TAIC investigator on 16
May 2005.
The cockpit voice recorder (CVR) and flight data recorder (FDR)
were examined by ATSB recorder specialists and information was
successfully recovered from both recorders.
Once it has been completed, a copy of the TAIC investigation
report (05-006) may be found at: www.taic.org.nz or by
contacting:
TAIC,
PO Box 10-323
Wellington 6036
New Zealand