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 New Chief Investigator of Accidents appointed

The Commission's Chief Inspector of Accidents, Ron Chippindale, will retire on 31 October 1998. Ron began investigating accidents when he was with the RNZAF, then transferred to the Ministry of Transport, and in 1990 became Chief Inspector of Accidents with the then new Transport Accident Investigation Commission. Since 1990 Ron has been Investigator-in-Charge of 48 aircraft and rail accidents and incidents, and had overall responsibility for the investigation of approximately 400 accidents and incidents. Probably the most notable accident Ron investigated for the Commission was the June 1995 accident of a Dash 8 aircraft near Palmerston North.

Over the last few years Ron has put a great deal of effort into disseminating his knowledge to the Commission's other 6 aircraft, rail, and marine accident investigators, and contributed to formalising procedures and the routine use of consultants in human performance, fatigue, and organisational factors. As a result of Ron's input the Commission is pleased to announce that it has recruited his replacement from its own staff: Captain Tim Burfoot will take over the position (which will be renamed Chief Investigator of Accidents) from Ron on 1 November 1998.

Tim Burfoot has 17 years sea-going experience, the last 5 of which were as master of vessels on international trade routes, and has been the Commission's Investigator-in-Charge of 30 marine accident investigations since 1995. He has received extensive training and experience in multi-modal transport safety investigation issues such as fatigue, human performance, crew resource management, safety system management, auditing and organisational psychology. High profile investigations by Tim include the sinking of the trawler San Manukau off Cape Karikari, the capsize of the whale watch tourist boat Uruao off Kaikoura, and the collision between the cargo ship Sydney Express and the trawler Maria Luisa at Wellington Heads.

Click here for a high resolution photograph of Tim Burfoot.

The Use of Information from Accident and Incident Investigation Records

Cabinet has approved the drafting of a Bill amending the Transport Accident Investigation Commission Act to provide for the use of information from aviation accident and incident records. The proposal approved by Cabinet provides for complete protection from disclosure for witness statements and submissions made to the Commission for any purpose other than a safety investigation. For CVRs the proposal provides for a High Court to weigh the competing interests of justice against the adverse impact disclosure may have on current and future safety investigations. The proposal is likely to set a precedent for records from rail and marine accident and incident investigations. The Bill is now being drafted and could be approved for public comment in early 1999.

Annual report

The Commission's annual report has been published and will be made available at TAIC's web site late October or early November 1998.

Investigations under way

The following investigations are under way:

File	Date occurred	Vehicle/s	Location	Type of occurrence	Reporting in/after
AVIATION:
97-015	17 Oct 97	B767, ZK-NBC	Sydney	Cargo incident	See 97-018
97-018	16 Nov 97	B767, ZK-NBL	Christchurch	Cargo incident	Nov 98
98-005	19 Apr 98	Squirrel ZK-HDU	Rotorua	Engine failure	Nov 98
98-006	8 May 98	Metroliner ZK-NSJ	Christchurch	Unforecast fog	Nov 98
98-008	19 Aug 98	Cessna 402 ZK-VAC	Foveaux Strait	Double engine failure	Mar 99
98-009	14 Sep 98	Cessna 177B ZK-DKL	Nr Grahame Saddle	Collision with terrain	Mar 99
98-010	8 Oct 98	Metroliner ZK-RCA	Palmerston North	Low fuel diversion	Mar 99
RAIL:
98-103	9 Mar 98	Train 1603	Carterton-Featherston	Potential derailment	Oct 98
98-105	14 Mar 98	Train 235	Ngaruawahia	Derailment	Oct 98
98-106	28 Mar 98	Train 201 & 242	Longburn	Cargo incident	Oct 98
98-107	15 May 98	Train 411	Ngaruawahia	Wrong line	Dec 98
98-108	17 May 98	Train 30	Pukeoware	Wagon runaway	Dec 98
98-109	2 Jun 98	Wagons at siding	Tokoroa	Wagon runaway	Dec 98
98-110	28 Jun 98	Train 902	Islington	Derailment	Apr 99
98-111	17 Aug 98	Train 2125	Henderson	Collision with person	Apr 99
98-112	24 Aug 98	Shunt	Mt Maunganui	Loss of logs	Dec 98
98-113	25 Aug 98	Train 210	National Park	Load moved in transit	NRP
98-114	10 Sep 98	Train GR7 & Hi-Rail Vehicle EM80	Pines, nr Kaikoura	Near collision	Mar 99
98-115	1 Oct 98	Wagon rake	Middleton	Runaway wagons	May 99
MARINE:
98-204	16 Mar 98	Fast ferry Condor 10	Wellington heads	Structural failure	Nov 98
98-206	30 Apr 98	Cargo ship Spirit of Vision	French Pass	Grounding	Nov 98
98-207	12 Jul 98	Ferry Waipapa and launch Thesis	Lyttelton Harbour	Near collision	Dec 98
98-209	13 Aug 98	Deep sea fishing trawler San Rakaia	Ninepin Rock	Grounding	Mar 99
98-210	18 Aug 98	Restricted-limit passenger ferry Stella	Hauraki Gulf	Steering gear failure	Mar 99
98-211	5 Sep 98	Passenger charter sailing vessel Phantom of the Strait	Wellington Harbour	Fire	Mar 99
98-212	24 Sep 98	Passenger catamaran Scat Cat	Lake Rotorua	Foundering	Mar 99
98-213	2 Oct 98	Jet boat No. 2	Dart River	Flipped	May 99
98-214	6 Oct 98	Fishing vessel Dong Won 529	Stewart Island	Grounding	May 99

TBA = to be advised; NRP = no report published since no significance to transport safety (s 13 (1)(b) of TAIC Act.

Questions?

If you have any queries about our work, or the contents of this bulletin, contact us at:

Transport Accident Investigation Commission

P O Box 10 323 Wellington

Fax: 04 4991510

Phone: 04 473-3112

Email: inquiries@taic.org.nz

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