For Immediate Release - 20 December 2010

Inquiry into civil flying training safety

The Transport Accident Investigation Commission is calling for public submissions as it examines civil flying training safety in New Zealand.

“The Commission has become concerned that systemic or widespread matters may be affecting civil flying training safety in New Zealand,’ says Chief Investigator of Accidents Captain Tim Burfoot. “It has decided to invite public submissions alongside current investigations to help determine whether its concern is substantiated or not.”

“This work will support our current inquiries into a fatal mid-air collision near Feilding in July 2010 and a mid-air near-collision near New Plymouth in May 2010. It also follows a significant increase in the number of mid-air collisions and near-misses over the past 10 years of which nearly half have involved pilots undergoing training, including some with instructors on board,” says Captain Burfoot.

Public notices calling for submissions will appear in major daily newspapers tomorrow (Tuesday, 21 December 2010), while further background and a guide to making a submission is on the Commission’s website www.taic.org.nz. Submissions close on Monday, 21 February 2011. The Commission hopes to complete its inquiry by 30 September 2011.

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