The Country
  • The Country home
  • Latest news
  • Audio & podcasts
  • Opinion
  • Dairy farming
  • Sheep & beef farming
  • Rural business
  • Rural technology
  • Rural life
  • Listen on iHeart radio

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • Coast & Country News
  • Opinion
  • Dairy farming
  • Sheep & beef farming
  • Horticulture
  • Animal health
  • Rural business
  • Rural technology
  • Rural life

Media

  • Podcasts
  • Video

Weather

  • Kaitaia
  • Whāngarei
  • Dargaville
  • Auckland
  • Thames
  • Tauranga
  • Hamilton
  • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua
  • Tokoroa
  • Te Kuiti
  • Taumurunui
  • Taupō
  • Gisborne
  • New Plymouth
  • Napier
  • Hastings
  • Dannevirke
  • Whanganui
  • Palmerston North
  • Levin
  • Paraparaumu
  • Masterton
  • Wellington
  • Motueka
  • Nelson
  • Blenheim
  • Westport
  • Reefton
  • Kaikōura
  • Greymouth
  • Hokitika
  • Christchurch
  • Ashburton
  • Timaru
  • Wānaka
  • Oamaru
  • Queenstown
  • Dunedin
  • Gore
  • Invercargill

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / The Country

Agricultural aviation: Spate of accidents prompts safety reminder for pilots

By Sally Murphy
RNZ·
8 Oct, 2024 04:04 AM3 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

Agricultural Aviation Association chairman Bruce Peterson said there have been five more serious accidents in the past 10 weeks. Photo / Mark Mitchell

Agricultural Aviation Association chairman Bruce Peterson said there have been five more serious accidents in the past 10 weeks. Photo / Mark Mitchell

By Sally Murphy of RNZ

A spate of accidents in recent weeks is a wake-up call for pilots in the industry, the New Zealand Agricultural Aviation Association says.

Chairman Bruce Peterson said there had been five more serious accidents and five incidents over the last 10 weeks.

“They vary between helicopters and planes that were spraying paddocks and forestry blocks, it seems pilot error or mechanical issues are the main causes.”

The Civil Aviation Authority said since August 3 it has received reports of five accidents where the nature of flight was agricultural - two of which are under investigation.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

There have been a further three incidents reported from the agricultural sector, of which one is under investigation.

The accidents included a plane hitting a fence, a plane veering during take-off on a wet airstrip, going down a bank, and through a fence, and a helicopter striking wires during a spraying operation.

The incidents included an aircraft flying through Ōhakea airspace without clearance from the control tower and a helicopter skid striking a powerline causing it to snap.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Peterson said it was lucky there had been no serious injuries, but luck might not always continue to be on everyone’s side.

With farmers earning less it had been really quiet for agricultural pilots, he said.

Now there was more work available, pilots were back in the air after a prolonged break.

“We’ve got guys that perhaps aren’t as current as they would normally be, which doesn’t help and then there’s the financial pressure to make some money while the work is there.

“As a wider industry, agriculture is really struggling, especially the sheep and beef guys, everyone’s spending less but we need to make sure that that’s not impacting safety.

“Facilities need to be kept in order, especially runways.”

Peterson said there was also pressure from customers to fly when the weather was not the best.

The key message for pilots was to take their time, he said.

“Think about what you’re doing, think about the ramifications of when things or what can go wrong, and don’t take your aircraft anywhere that your brain hasn’t been five minutes earlier, slow is fast in our industry.”

He said farmers could help by recognising that pilots were doing the best they could and didn’t need extra pressure.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

“When pilots say it’s not safe to fly and they need to knock off, that should be the end of the conversation.”

- RNZ


Save

    Share this article

Latest from The Country

Premium
The Country

'They just keep coming': Illegal hunting causes frustration and fear on East Coast

The Country

Watch: CCTV shows moment drug-driver caused tractor to crash into homes

The Country

Te Puke incident: Person airlifted after serious injury


Sponsored

Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from The Country

Premium
Premium
'They just keep coming': Illegal hunting causes frustration and fear on East Coast
The Country

'They just keep coming': Illegal hunting causes frustration and fear on East Coast

East Coast MP Dana Kirkpatrick highlights rising poaching concerns.

17 Jul 06:00 AM
Watch: CCTV shows moment drug-driver caused tractor to crash into homes
The Country

Watch: CCTV shows moment drug-driver caused tractor to crash into homes

17 Jul 03:49 AM
Te Puke incident: Person airlifted after serious injury
The Country

Te Puke incident: Person airlifted after serious injury

17 Jul 02:26 AM


Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky
Sponsored

Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky

06 Jul 09:47 PM
NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • NZ Herald e-editions
  • Daily puzzles & quizzes
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Subscribe to the NZ Herald newspaper
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP