The Transport Accident Investigation Commission today made a rare public apology to Pam Mitchell, the widow of the pilot who died along with two of their children in an accident involving a twin-engineered Piper aircraft near Fielding in December 2002.
TAIC deputy chair Pauline Winter said an administrative error had resultedin both the draft and advance copy of the commission's final report into the accident being sent to the wrong address.
Advance copies are provided to families to help them prepare for the public release of TAIC reports.
"While Ms Mitchell did get the opportunity to review and comment on the draft report, it is extremely regrettable that she did not receive the final report in advance of its public release." Ms Winter said.
"I visited Ms Mitchell today to personally convey the Commission's apologies and deliver the final report."
TAIC will look at ways of preventing any further problems.
Guy Lawton, an oral and maxillofacial surgeon and sons Matthew, seven, and Samuel, five, died when their twin-engine Piper Navajo crashed soon after take-off from Feilding.
The TAIC report criticised Mr Lawton for taking the wrong course of action and not following his training before the crash.
The Transport Accident Investigation Commission's role is to investigate air, rail and marine accidents for the prevention of similar accidents in future.
