Two a penny

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Jet-boat driver ‘in wrong place at the wrong time’

Wednesday, 07 January 2009

Kawarau River smash bodies found

The jet-boat driver who died in a collision with a jet-ski on the Kawarau River near Queenstown on Monday night has been described as a cautious jet boater who was in the wrong place at the wrong time.
Laurence Brett Singleton, 51, known as Brett, had driven jet boats for more than 20 years and had helped in river searches for other boaties.
Singleton's widow, Sue, yesterday said her husband was a "wonderful person" with a love of the outdoors.
Singleton and three brothers had been involved in developing the Rees Apartments in Frankton Road.
He was a member of the Canterbury Jet Boat Association for more than 15 years before moving to Queenstown about eight years ago. Police say he was not wearing a lifejacket at the time of the collision
"He was a good jet boater but he just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time," she said.
Sue Singleton said her husband would never get in a jet boat without wearing a lifejacket, and would have taken it off while slowly trawling for fish. "He knew what he was doing on rivers."
Kawarau Jet director Shaun Kelly said Singleton was a diligent jet boater. He wasn't a stupid driver; he was a very cautious person. He was a well-respected guy and a competent operator," he said.
"It's a real tragedy that this has happened."
Singleton had gone fishing on the river with friend and colleague Anton Oskar Woitasek, 34, who was a senior project director on the apartment development.
"He was a very cautious man, drove well and had done many, many years of racing.
Woitasek's mother-in-law, Jeanette Pierson, said his death was "very painful".
Woitasek's mother-in-law, Jeanette Pierson, said his death was "very painful"."

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It’s what neighbours do, says fire rescuer

– Wellington Tuesday, 06 January 2009

/The
BRAVE BID: Ben Tionisio, 18, cut his fist smashing a glass pane to save his neighbours’ dog from the burning house.

A youth smashed a door window with his fist to break into a burning home to save his neighbours' dog.
"It's just what neighbours do, eh," said Ben Tionisio, 18, nursing a bleeding hand suffered when he smashed the window to help retrieve the dog about 1.
And another neighbour braved the smoke, exploding upstairs windows and rising heat to check the Palmerston North family were not home and to search for the dog.
The Lyndhurst St house was a writeoff but the animals two cats and a dog survived.15pm yesterday.
Mr Tionisio, a labourer, was at home in front of the television enjoying his holidays when he heard his mother yell that the house across the road was on fire. The owners had insurance. "I heard the dog barking and just smashed the window, I punched it.
"There was smoke coming out the window and some chicks were yelling there was a dog inside," he said.
The neighbours retreated once they realised no one was home and when they could not see or hear the animals." Max, the two-year-old dog, got spooked and darted away.
Both Mr Tionisio and the second neighbour, Phil, who ran upstairs to check if anyone was trapped, shrugged at the danger of going to save neighbours whose names they did not even know. ..
"You do it for your neighbours . It's just what neighbours do.."
Glenn Richards, who lived at the house with his partner and parents, was counting the cost yesterday, after losing all his possessions. Just glad no one was hurt, and the dog is okay."
Fire chief Roger Calder said 16 firefighters took 30 minutes to control the fire, which began in the second storey and was not suspicious.
He had received a phone call saying; "Come home, your house is on fire.

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Experts at a loss to explain Airbus tragedy

By ANTHONY HUBBARD, ADRIENNE BOURGEON – Sunday, 30 November 2008

The rescue efforts continue to be hampered by poor visibility stirred up by heavy seas.

Eefforts toexplain the mystery crash of the Air New Zealand Airbus in France may take months as experts rule out the most likely causes for its abrupt plunge into the Mediterranean Sea.
No hope is now held that any of the men survived the impact of Friday's crash.
Air New Zealand chief executive Rob Fyfe is due in Perpignan today with a support crew and relatives of one of the five New Zealanders killed, vowing to "bring our team home". Civil Aviation Authority inspector Jeremy Cook, 58, was the fifth New Zealander to die. The Air NZ staff who died were captain Brian Horrell, 52, and engineers Michael Gyles, 49, Murray White, 37, and Noel Marsh, 35.
Bad weather yesterday hampered the recovery and only two bodies, still unidentified, have so far been recovered. Two German pilots also lost their lives. Gendarme Pierre Renault said once they were found they could be handed over to families "so they can start mourning".
The head of the rescue operation in France said the most important job was finding the remaining five bodies.
"Normally the sea should be clear blue, and authorities should be able to see the plane in the sand on the seabed, but today this is not possible.
The rescue efforts, involving a rotating team of divers, helped by a robot aboard an anti-mining navy vessel, continued to be hampered by poor visibility stirred up by heavy seas. Debris that has already been recovered includes a shoe, lifejackets and fuselage insulation."
Signals from the two flight recorders have been detected and a team of 10 specialist divers were due to go back into the water at 8pm last night to retrieve them.
Air NZ group general manager Ed Sims said 75 French personnel were involved in the recovery efforts. Part of one wing was found floating but has not yet been recovered.
A message from the pilots to the air control tower at Perpignan airport just minutes before the crash gave no hint of any danger. He said confirmation that the victims were presumed dead was "difficult and devastating news for the families of all concerned".
The plane appeared to nosedive into the sea, breaking up into fragments now strewn over a wide area, dispersed by sea currents for dozens of kilometres along the French coast.
There was no mayday and the aircraft was already in the "corridor" lined up to land at the airport before it crashed four nautical miles off the coast..
"Nobody saw exactly what happened. it is like a puzzle that we have to piece together," said Renault, who predicted the technical investigation would take months..
Fernand Ejnes, director of EAS Industries, said the work was mainly decor and paintwork.
Fernand Ejnes, director of EAS Industries, said the work was mainly decor and paintwork. Everything was simply put in order to enable it to receive New Zealand licensing.
Leading New Zealand aviation writer Rob Neil agreed the crash remained "extremely mysterious". The Pacific Wings magazine editor said news reports did not point to any obvious cause.
Neil told the Sunday Star-Times that bird-strike was unlikely to be the cause, and in any case the crew would have time for a mayday call.
Horrell, who was sitting in the jump seat behind the two German pilots, was an "incredibly meticulous pilot, absolutely professional in everything he did", Neil said.
He and the Air NZ engineers would have checked the maintenance done on the plane and if they were not happy with it, they would not have flown in the aircraft.
Horrell, although he was not flying the plane, was in effect one of the flight crew and would have immediately communicated with the others had he had noticed anything amiss.
The Airbus 320 was one of the two workhorses of the world's airlines. Even Boeing, maker of the other most popular narrow-bodied airliner, the Boeing 737, conceded that it was a safe aeroplane.
The plane was relatively new and the maintenance firm, EAS Industries, was a reputable company.
The Airbus was reportedly about 300m above the sea and it was very lightly loaded. It would therefore have "plenty of performance" and was extremely unlikely to suddenly plummet. That was likely only in a violent thunderstorm or during what was known as a microburst, a highly concentrated and localised downward wind associated with thunderstorms. News reports did not suggest such weather.
THE MISSING KIWI CREW
BRIAN HORRELL, 52, Auckland Air New Zealand captain
Southland-born Horrell grew up on the family farm at Te Tua close to Tuatapere in Southland. His love of flying began with hang-gliders, representing New Zealand at the world championships in France.
After working as a pilot for Water Wings in Te Anau, he joined Air New Zealand in Christchurch his 22-year career taking him from Friendships to Boeings, from the South Island to Auckland, where he became a training captain for Airbus.
Family described Horrell as a dedicated family man to his wife Shelley and their teenage children Olivia, 19, and Logan, 17. His parents, Herbert and Moira, who are both in their 80s and live in Tuatapere, are said to be "shattered". Air New Zealand sent support staff to be with them, and also his wife and children, in Auckland.

NOEL MARSH, 35, Christchurch Air New Zealand engineer
A heavily-pregnant Tracy Marsh kissed her husband goodbye in France last week and flew home to Christchurch with their two young children.
Noel Marsh, 35, died in the crash just two weeks before he was due to come home for the birth of his third child and on the day his five-year-old son should have been starring with the rest of his classmates in his school's end-of-year production. But instead of flitting around the stage as a sandfly, Leon Marsh was at home with his mum in Rolleston, south of Christchurch, struggling to understand why he wasn't going to see his dad again.
Marsh, an engineer with Air New Zealand for the past six years, was in France for the handover of the A320 from German XL Airways but had organised for his wife and children to fly over for the family holiday of a lifetime. Family said Marsh, who had been with Air New Zealand for six years, relished the opportunity to travel to Europe to be involved in the acceptance process for the A320. They were extremely proud of the man who they said loved his job.

MICHAEL GYLES, 49, Christchurch Air New Zealand engineer
The father of two teenage boys, Gyles has been described as a dedicated family man. He had 30 years' service with Air New Zealand, starting as an apprentice and working his way up. A quiet man with exceptional skills, Gyles was reported as being well-liked by colleagues. Some of his family were yesterday on their way to France while the remainder were gathering in Christchurch to mourn a man they say loved his family and his job.

MURRAY WHITE 37, Auckland Air New Zealand engineer
White lived in Pakuranga, Auckland, and had been with Air New Zealand for the past 19 years.
He was acting as an observer on the flight and was said to be a highly skilled engineer.

JEREMY COOK, 58, Wellington Civil Aviation Authority inspector
Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) staff have been in shock over the death of Cook but are continuing to provide support to his wife Sally and children.
CAA staff said Cook was a popular and respected engineer. Acting director Graeme Harris said Cook was an aviation enthusiast with a long career dedicated to enhancing aviation safety standards.
He joined the CAA as airworthiness inspector in April, 2005. He was a licensed maintenance engineer with an extensive background in aircraft maintenance.
Cook had worked for Air Niugini in Papua New Guinea, Ansett New Zealand and the Christchurch Engine Centre. In his role at CAA he processed the entry of aircraft into the New Zealand civil aviation system, assessing applications for the issue or change to aircraft airworthiness certificates. Harris said Cook was a valued member of the CAA's Aircraft Certification Unit and was widely respected in his field.
It is understood members of the Cook family flew to Europe last night.

Timeline to disaster 2am Friday (NZ time): Plane handed back by EAS Industries, which had carried out light technical work on the aircraft. 2.43am: Take off at Perpignan Airport. Flight plan is filed and plane flies south-west towards the coast. 3.46am: Last call by crew to air traffic control. Authorities describe a banal exchange, there is no sign of alarm. 4.45am: The crash. Onlookers say it appeared the aircraft was trying to approach the airport when it made an unexpected turn followed by a steep climb. Then it nosedived into the sea. They say it appeared the pilot did everything possible to avoid crashing into the coastal town of Le Canet en Rousillon, the seaside town 10km east of Perpignan.

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Nia might have survived, doc tells court

‘If she was seen within the first few hours .. she would have lived’

By Wednesday, 05 November 2008

NIA GLASSIE: Died in hospital with head and body injuries..
He said because Nia was not seen by doctors till almost two days after she first suffered the head injury, doctors "missed the boat".

Witness: Nia ‘slept three days’ before going to hospital

My head’s sore, Nia told relative

‘Best guess’ Nia in dryer for 20 mins, says witness

‘She was ugly and didn’t listen’ – Nia’s mum

Nia died from brain bleed, trial told

Force killed Nia, says pathologist

Nia’s aunt to accused: Did you do it?

Nia Glassie might have survived if she had been admitted to hospital sooner, Auckland Starship Hospital paediatrician Patrick Kelly has told a court today.
Under questioning from prosecutor Fletcher Pilditch, Mr Kelly said Nia had been in a coma for 36 hours when she was admitted to Rotorua Hospital on Sunday morning, July 22, last year.
Mr Kelly has been giving evidence in the High Court at Rotorua this morning.
Mr Kelly said brain swelling, caused by bleeding, had fluctuated during the previous two days and Nia had gone into a coma on the Friday evening, July 20.
She was transferred to Starship Hospital that afternoon.
Most of the brain damage had already occurred and the pressure inside the brain had reduced, he said.
When he saw Nia on Sunday afternoon she was over the “over the worst,” he said.
“If she was seen within the first few hours it was most likely she would have lived.
There was no guarantee she would have lived if treated earlier but she had survived 36 hours before being examined and was passed the worst, he said.
"If the injury came from the clothesline fall, she would have suffered concussion within an hour.”
Mr Kelly believed Nia’s brain injury most likely occurred on Friday, though not from falling off the clothesline two days before on July 18.
Mr Kelly said he was told by Nia’s mother, co-accused Lisa Kuka, that Nia had acted normally till early Friday evening."
Nia displayed no symptoms of concussion between Wednesday and Friday evening, the court heard.
Nia slipped into a coma and did not wake again. .
Cross examination of Mr Kelly’s evidence continues this afternoon.
The Crown allege Nia was kicked in the head that Friday evening sometime between 7pm to 8pm,by co-accused Michael and Wiremu Curtis.

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Bill to quit mortgage appealed

By CHARLIE GATES – Tuesday, 28 October 2008

A Christchurch family is appealing against a $15,000 bank charge for ending a five-year fixed-rate mortgage after eight months.
David and Catherine Johnson and their four children moved into a Cashmere house in February on a $270,000 mortgage fixed at 8. They have sold the house to move to Australia, but ending the mortgage early means they face a $15,000 charge.99 per cent interest for five years.
He said there should be a charge for ending the mortgage early, but $15,000 was unreasonable.
David Johnson has appealed to the Office of the Banking Ombudsman and complained to Westpac's Christchurch staff. The main concern is the severity of the repayment.
"We knew there was a penalty involved in a fixed rate.
He also said the potential charges should be set out more clearly by banks. It is just a ridiculous figure," he said. There is a complex formula that all banks use and you just can't follow it.
"It is just not transparent enough."
A Westpac spokesman said bank charges for the early termination of fixed-rate mortgages were higher as a result of the global financial meltdown and credit crunch. We want the bank to be reasonable and negotiate with us.
"It is obviously a tricky time .
"When we set the mortgage we secure the funding in the wholesale market and so the amount is based on the cost of us returning the money at current rates on the wholesale market," he said… This is obviously an example of where it has not been in their favour to break it. It is not something we would enjoy imposing, but it is the nature of the fixed-term agreement that there are costs.
The Reserve Bank cut the official cash rate by 100 basis points on Thursday, from 7. .5 to 6.