Piper PA-31-325 accident near Fielding, Nz, December 17, 2002
On December 17, 2002 at about 8:41 pm local time, a Piper PA-31-325, registered ZKTZC, was destroyed in an accident near Fielding. It was a personal flight under non-U.S. private rules. 3 people were killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 17, 2002 · about 8:41 pm local time
- Place
- Fielding, New Zealand · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 3 people were killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-31-325 · all PA-31-325s on the register
- Registration
- ZKTZC · no longer on the register
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · non-U.S. private rules
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
The aircraft
- Landing gear: fixed
The flight
- Departed from: Fielding at 8:36 pm
- Destination: Paraparaumu
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Wind: from 130° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 20 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 8,000 ft; a few clouds at 2,500 ft
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Observation at 8:00 pm
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 2 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.