Mechanics Bay - Mechanics Bay

On December 24, 1970 at 07:44 AM, Mechanics Bay - Mechanics Bay experienced a crash involving Grumman G-44 Widgeon, operated by Mount Cook Airlines, with the event recorded near Auckland Auckland Council.

The flight was categorized as cinematography and the reported phase was flight at a lake, sea, ocean, river crash site.

4 people were known to be on board, 4 fatalities were recorded, 0 survivors were identified or estimated. This corresponds to an estimated fatality rate of 100.0%.

Crew on board: 1, crew fatalities: 1, passengers on board: 3, passenger fatalities: 3, other fatalities: 0.

The listed crash cause is human factor. Pilot Roger Poole was taking a TV news crew of three to film a burning 8.5m launch near Browns Island. After circling the launch and landing nearby, the floatplane took off and circled to the right at low level. It straighten out as if to return to base at Mechanics Bay, but then banked steeply to the right, the turn becoming near vertical. The nose dropped and it crashed into the sea, killing all four aboard.

Aircraft reference details include registration ZK-BAY, MSN 1362, year of manufacture 1944.

Geospatial coordinates for this crash are approximately -36.7229°, 174.7083°.