New Zealand’s Transport Accident Investigation Commission (TAIC) has identified crew monitoring, flight system design, and oversight issues during the 2023 incident in which an Air New Zealand Q300 aircraft descended below its minimum safe altitude while approaching Timaru from Wellington. Although the aircraft, with 33 passengers and three crew members on board, landed safely with no injuries reported, investigators found the event was not isolated.
Crew Monitoring and Flight System Issues Identified
TAIC found the aircraft’s autopilot remained in vertical speed (V/S) mode rather than returning to vertical navigation mode (VNAV) during the descent, with investigators highlighting that the flight crew did not recognise the issue due to both pilots’ focus on visually identifying runway lights, reducing monitoring of flight instruments in the process.
The final report, released on Oct. 1. 2026, noted that the aircraft descended about 2,500 ft below its programmed approach of 1,156 ft, the minimum safe altitude being 2,000 feet, before corrective action was taken.
Broader Safety Concerns Highlighted
The commission concluded that the incident resulted from a series of wider safety issues involving the Q300’s flight-management system, crew monitoring, training, safety culture, and regulatory oversight, rather than one singular cause. TAIC identified six similar events prior to the inquiry and two additional events afterwards, indicating a wider operational problem across the fleet.
Nine safety issues were identified during the investigation, and TAIC reported that several have already been addressed through safety improvements implemented since the incident.
With airlines increasingly relying on advanced cockpit automation, investigators stressed the significance of these findings and the need for robust procedures, training, and oversight to ensure flight crews remain fully aware of aircraft system modes during approach and landing.
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