Auckland Airport - Accidents and Incidents

Accidents and Incidents

Accidents and incidents that occurred at or near Auckland Airport include:

• 4 July 1966 - an Air New Zealand Douglas DC-8 on a training flight crashed on the runway shortly after taking off, killing 2 of the 5 crew (no passengers were on board).
• 17 February 1979 - an Air New Zealand Fokker Friendship crashed into Manukau Harbour while on final approach. 1 crew and 1 company staff member were killed.
• 31 July 1989 - a Mainfreight Convair 340/580 crashed shortly after taking off at night. All 3 crew members were killed.
• 12 March 2003 - Singapore Airlines Flight 286 miscalculated its weight and attempted to lift off too early, resulting in the tail of the Boeing 747-400 to drag along Runway 05L for almost 500 metres.

Accidents and incidents that occurred on aircraft that departed from or were destined for Auckland Airport include:

• 30 January 1974 - Pan Am Flight 806, a Boeing 707-321B-operated flight from Auckland to Los Angeles via Pago Pago and Honolulu, crashed on its approach to Pago Pago, killing 97 and injuring 4.
• 28 November 1979 - Air New Zealand Flight 901, a McDonnell Douglas DC-10-operated sightseeing flight from Auckland to Antarctica and return via Christchurch, crashed into Mount Erebus, killing all 257 on board.
• 24 February 1989 - United Airlines Flight 811, a United Airlines 747 flight from Honolulu, Hawaii, suffered explosive decompression, killing 9.
• 9 June 1995 - Ansett New Zealand Flight 703, a de Havilland DHC-8-operated flight from Auckland to Palmerston North, crashed in the Tararua Ranges while performing an instrument approach to Palmerston North in bad weather, killing 4 people and seriously injuring 14 others.
• 3 May 2005 - Airwork Flight 23, a Fairchild SA227-AC Metro III-operated New Zealand Post cargo flight from Auckland to Blenheim, disintegrated over Stratford in Taranaki when the autopilot disengaged while trying to balance out fuel in the tanks, killing both pilots.