Hokitika - Hokitika

On October 28, 1984 at 12:00 AM, Hokitika - Hokitika experienced a crash involving Fletcher FU-24, operated by Rowley Aviation, with the event recorded near Hokitika West Coast Regional Council.

The flight was categorized as skydiving / paratroopers and the reported phase was takeoff (climb) at a airport (less than 10 km from airport) crash site.

5 people were known to be on board, 1 fatalities were recorded, 4 survivors were identified or estimated. This corresponds to an estimated fatality rate of 20.0%.

Crew on board: 1, crew fatalities: 1, passengers on board: 4, passenger fatalities: 0, other fatalities: 0.

The listed crash cause is human factor. The single engine aircraft departed Hokitika Airport on a local skydiving flight, carrying four skydivers and one pilot. The ripcord of the reserve parachute of one of the jumpers was snagged as he climbed out of the cockpit and the chute streamed and began to deploy. The jumper struck the tailplane as he was dragged aft, damaging it, and the Fletcher went out of control and dived into the ground. The remaining parachutists all escaped the crashing plane by the use of their parachutes but the pilot, who was not wearing a parachute, was killed in the crash. The jumper whose reserve had accidentally deployed suffered a head injury which rendered him unconscious briefly but landed safely.

Aircraft reference details include registration ZK-DJF, MSN 177, year of manufacture 1972.