Cessna 208A Caravan crash, Jan 29, 1996 (5 killed), Picto...
Cessna 208A Caravan accident on January 29, 1996 near Picton-Koromiko, Marlborough District Council, New Zealand with 5 fatalities. Cause: The pilot's...
- Date: January 29, 1996
- Aircraft: Cessna 208A Caravan
- Location: Picton-Koromiko, Marlborough District Council, New Zealand
- Fatalities: 5
- Phase of flight: Approach and landing
- Cause: The pilot's decision to descend beneath cloud, misidentification of terrain, an undetected heading error and loss of positional awareness, limited forward visibility, and high speed. Contributing factors included false confidence from familiarity with the area and the lack of procedures to ensure coastal crossing south of Rarangi.
A Soundsair Caravan on a scheduled flight from Wellington to Picton descended on final into low cloud and struck wooded slopes of Mt Robertson, about 10 nm northeast of Blenheim. The pilot survived with serious injuries, but all five passengers were killed. The TAIC report identified descent beneath cloud, misidentified terrain and a heading error as key factors.