Owner Disputes Ruling That Frost Brought Plane Down

There's controversy in the air over New Zealand... after that country's Transportation Accident Investigation Commission issued its finding in the downing of an Air Fiordland Cessna 206 on take-off from the Queenstown Aerodrome last October.

The pilot and five passengers all walked away from the crash... when the 206 (file photo of type, right) ran into what the TAIC calls control difficulties. The left wing struck the runway and the aircraft went down.

The TAIC report quotes the pilot, who says he cleaned the wings and control surfaces of frost before takeoff. But the commission says he didn't do a good enough job... and when he encountered wake turbulence on take-off, he was unable to maintain control of the 206.

Here's where the controversy comes in. Fiordland Air CEO Russell Baker says the Cessna took off with absolutely clean wings... and only after the airport fire department sprayed water on the wreckage to keep a fire from starting did the wings dirty up again.

"I have no doubt that he properly cleaned the wing before leaving -- using the same procedures and same cleaning broom as the pilot of the first aircraft which did not experience any problems," Baker told New Zealand's NZPA.

Baker added this report is all too similar to one involving a helicopter that crashed some time ago. In that case, the TAIC cited the work of a pair of mechanics as the probable cause. Turns out they were wrong.

Russell says the similarities between the Air Fiordland crash and the helo mishap are... disturbing.

FMI: Read The TAIC Report