Nationwide safety issues found at aerodromes by transport investigator

An inquiry into a fatal mid-air collision between two pilots coming into land at Masterton Hood Aerodrome in 2019 has revealed safety issues were a factor, and further inquiries have found a concerning picture for the safety of aerodromes around the country.

Joshua Christensen, 20, and Craig McBride, 66, were killed in the Masterton crash.

The TAIC inquiry released this morning found a civil aviation rule wasn't followed by Christensen, who used a non-standard procedure to rejoin the runway from the right which he had been taught during his training.

This move led to the collision when the flightpaths of the two planes crossed.

This approach had been used for around five years before the crash and was known by local pilots, but despite being well-intended, had created a hazard.

TAIC found multiple similarities between the crash and two previous mid-air collisions in Feilding in 2010 and Paraparaumu in 2008.

All crashes occurred at unattended aerodromes, involved aircraft that were coming into land, in weather conditions were good and pilots made appropriate radio calls but potentially weren't actively listening to calls from other pilots, among other aspects, the report states.

It has prompted the authority to recommend the Civil Aviation Authority make sweeping changes to improve the safety of unattended aerodromes, which can include airports and are defined as spaces intended for the arrival, departure and movement of aircraft which don’t have an air traffic control tower to manage aircraft.

"Ensure that managers and users of aerodromes, in particular for unattended aerodromes, understand and fulfil their responsibilities for ensuring safe operations," is one of the recommendations from TAIC.

This includes working with Worksafe New Zealand, Local Government New Zealand and NZ Airports Association on safety, training and supporting aerodrome managers and ensuring users of an aerodrome contribute towards a culture of safety at the space.

Hood Aerodrome, which is owned and operated by Masterton District Council, had an information chart at the aerodrome at the time of the accident which advised pilots 'simultaneous operations' were prohibited, but TAIC has found through its inquiries there was a range of understandings among pilots of what this meant with no definition provided.

The part-time aerodrome manager employed at the time of the incident told TAIC there was no formal qualification or training for the role, and they had relied on a handover from a previous contractor.

In 2018, the manager had established a safety committee which had met three times before the 2019 collision occurred.

The Civil Aviation Authority would not be interviewed in person, but instead provided a statement attributed to deputy chief executive of aviation safety David Harrison.

The statement said changes had been made since the crash.

"These initiatives include CAA staff attending Hood Aerodrome user group meetings, establishing regular and ongoing supporting interaction with aerodrome management including ongoing assessment of the aerodrome master planning, and presenting at the small aerodromes sub-group of the NZ Airports Association," the statement read.

"The CAA operates and facilitates an extensive education and interaction programme with the aviation community."

It said "pilots operating at an uncontrolled or unattended aerodrome must comply with the published circuit directions, procedures and Civil Aviation Rules. These procedures are established to ensure the greatest possible safety for pilots when they are joining or vacating an uncontrolled or unattended aerodrome".