Amateur-built DHC8 incident near Blenheim, Nz, October 30, 2010
On October 30, 2010 at about 4:00 am local time, a amateur-built DHC8, registered ZKNEB, suffered minor damage in an incident during landing (flare/touchdown) near Blenheim (Blenheim airport). It was flown under foreign airline rules (Part 129). No one was hurt; 49 people were on board or involved.
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this incident. 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
- October 30, 2010 · about 4:00 am local time
- Place
- Blenheim, New Zealand · Blenheim
- Type
- Incident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 49 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- not recorded
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built DHC8 300
- Registration
- ZKNEB · no longer on the register
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Flight
- Flight · foreign airline rules (Part 129)
The NTSB's narrative preliminary · quoted from the NTSB record
On September 20, 2010, at 0400 universal coordinated time, a de Havilland Canada, DHC-8-300, ZK-NEB, experienced a nose gear collapse after landing at Blenheim Airport, New Zealand. The airplane was operated by Air Nelson Ltd, as a commercial passenger flight, with an original departure point of Wellington. The investigation is under the jurisdiction of the Government of New Zealand. This report is for information purposes only and contains only information released by the Government of New Zealand. Further information pertaining to this accident may be obtained from: Transport Accident Investigation Commission 11 Cigna House 40 Mercer Street P.O. Box 10-323 Wellington 6143 New Zealand Phone: (64) 4-473-3112 E-mail: inquiries@taic.org.nz Fax: (64) 4-499-1510 Website: http://www.taic.org.nz
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
What happened, in order
- Landing gear collapse during landing (flare/touchdown) defining event
The aircraft
- Landing gear: retractable
- Operator: Air Nelson
The flight
- Departed from: NZWB Blenheim
- Destination: Wellington
- Flight plan: not recorded
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cabi | 1 | |||
| Flight crew | 2 | |||
| Passengers | 46 |
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.