Investigation Summary
The accident occurred during a VOR/DME approach to Runway 25 at Palmerston North. The weather was poor, with continuous stratiform cloud. As the crew prepared for landing, the right main landing gear failed to extend fully. Instead of initiating a missed approach to troubleshoot the issue, the captain decided to continue the descent while the first officer consulted the Quick Reference Handbook (QRH). The first officer began the 'Alternate Landing Gear Extension' procedure, which involved using a manual hydraulic pump. During this high-workload period, the captain's attention shifted from flying the aircraft to the gear issue. The aircraft was at flight idle and began to descend significantly below the required approach profile. The GPWS, which should have provided a 17-second warning, only alerted the crew 4 seconds before impact. The aircraft struck the terrain twice, yawing right and breaking up over a distance of 235 meters. Four people died as a result of the accident: the flight attendant (Karen Anne Gallagher) and two passengers died at the scene, while a third passenger, Reginald Dixon, succumbed to his injuries 12 days later. Dixon was later awarded the New Zealand Cross for his bravery in attempting to rescue trapped passengers from the burning wreckage despite sustaining burns to 80 percent of his body.
Final Conclusions
The Transport Accident Investigation Commission (TAIC) concluded that the primary cause was the captain's failure to maintain the approach profile due to distraction. Contributing factors included the decision to continue the approach despite the malfunction, the first officer's incorrect sequencing of the QRH procedure, and the abnormally short GPWS warning. The captain was later prosecuted for manslaughter but was acquitted by a jury in 2001.
Photographic Evidence (1)
Video Analysis
Cockpit Distractions Leading to Fatal Crash (Ansett New Zealand 703) — An analysis of how a landing gear failure and subsequent cockpit distractions led to the controlled flight into terrain of Ansett New Zealand Flight 703.
If playback is blocked, the owner has disabled embedding — use the link above.
Airframe & Maintenance
Crew Experience
Captain
Garry Norman Sotheran
First Officer
Barry Brown
Systems & Failure Modes
Ground Proximity Warning System (GPWS)
A system designed to alert pilots if the aircraft is in immediate danger of flying into the ground. In this event, it provided only a 4-second warning instead of the expected 17 seconds.
Alternate Landing Gear Extension
A manual backup system used when the primary hydraulic extension fails, requiring the co-pilot to use a manual pump.
Emergency Locator Transmitter (ELT)
The ELT activated but its antenna was broken during the impact, resulting in a very weak signal that delayed discovery by search teams.
Interesting Facts
- 01The right main landing gear was found in the retracted position in the wreckage.
- 02A passenger used a mobile phone to call emergency services, which was rare for 1995 and aided in locating the crash site.
- 03The GPWS failed to provide the standard 17-second warning for reasons that could not be determined.
- 04The crash site was located on a sheep farm, and three sheep were killed in the impact.
- 05Reginald Dixon received the New Zealand Cross, the country's highest civilian bravery award, for his rescue efforts.
- 06Survivors struggled to locate first aid kits because they were not clearly marked; this was a legacy practice to prevent the theft of narcotics previously stored in the kits.
Safety Actions & Advisories
TAIC Amendment Act 1999
New Zealand passed legislation to protect Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR) data from being used in criminal proceedings, aligning with ICAO Annex 13.
GPWS Reliability Review
The investigation highlighted the need for more reliable GPWS warnings, though the specific cause of the 703 malfunction remained undetermined.
Known Controversies & Unanswered Questions
Admissibility of CVR Evidence
Reference ↗A significant legal battle occurred when police sought the CVR tape for criminal prosecution. The Court of Appeal eventually allowed its use, leading to a change in New Zealand law to protect such data in the future.
GPWS Malfunction
Reference ↗Investigators could never determine why the GPWS provided a significantly shorter warning than designed, leading to various technical theories that remained unproven.