Air Collision Above Hood Aerodrome

A report has been released on the air collision above Hood Aerodrome, in which two pilots sadly lost their lives. We have answered queries from the Times Age, and David Hopman has been interviewed by Radio NZ, and given on-camera interviews with Newshub (TV3) and TNVZ (TV1). Both interviews will air in tonight’s respective bulletins.

Answers to the questions raised by the Time Age are as below:

• Does MDC believe an aviation background is necessary for an aerodrome manager?

We don’t believe this is necessary but, as the report indicates, more support to unattended aerodromes and their managers through CAA and WorkSafe would be welcome. We agree with the report’s finding that managers of all unattended aerodromes need to understand and fulfil their responsibilities for ensuring safe operations, and training and support from experts such as CAA is key to that.

• What changes have been made at Hood to address the lack of formal training for aerodrome managers as identified by TAIC?

This is one of the recommendations the report raises, and we welcome the recommendations given around CAA and WorkSafe involvement in standardised safety practices across similar facilities in New Zealand.

• What changes has Hood Aerodrome made in the wake of this accident? I understand the third runway is still closed?

We have closed the runway that allowed parallel activity to take place. That happened immediately after the accident.

We moved the taxiway to ensure it had larger clearance with the main runway, making it safer for aircraft.

We work more closely with airport users to ensure they understand our expectations regarding safety practices. We have regular safety group meetings and more frequent proactive communications in this space.

We have employed a safety officer to help ensure Hood operates as safely as possible, including implementing a Safety Management System.

• We note that Hood Aerodrome is pursuing a "Qualifying aerodrome operator certificate" with the CAA, how long has this process been underway? What changes need to be made in order to be certified?

CAA have recently indicated we may need to pursue this. If we are required by CAA to become certified, it would likely take two years.