Date:	Friday 12 March 1965
Time:
Type:	Cessna 180 Skywagon
Owner/operator:	Ritchie Air Services Ltd
Registration:	ZK-BQJ
MSN:	32372
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 4 / Occupants: 4
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Location:	Gertrude Saddle, Fiordland NP -   New Zealand
Phase:	En route
Nature:	Passenger - Non-Scheduled/charter/Air Taxi
Departure airport:	Te Anau
Destination airport:	Te Anau
Confidence Rating:	Information is only available from news, social media or unofficial sources

Narrative:
The plane, piloted by Eion Buckham, was carrying three overseas tourists on a scenic flight, in light winds with some cloud at 5000 feet around the edges of Milford Sound. Searchers found it completely wrecked the next day, with all aboard dead. It had crashed into the mountainside at 1600 metres, in a steep bank to the left.

1. King, John (1995). Aviation Accidents and Disasters. New Zealand Tragedies. Wellington: Grantham House. pp. 112-113. ISBN 1 86934 042 6.
2. Aircraft Accident Report No. 25/3/1505
3. Crash in New Zealand Kills 2 Formerly at Wells College. New York Times. March 14, 1965

Other occurrences involving this aircraft

8 March 1958	ZK-BQJ	Rural Aviation Ltd	0	Makuri, Wairarapa		unk
2 April 1959	ZK-BQJ		0	Rahotu, Taranaki		unk

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
20-May-2009 21:52	XLerate	Added
24-May-2009 04:38	XLerate	Updated
02-Aug-2020 21:10	Ron Averes	Updated [Cn, Operator]
04-Feb-2022 00:55	Ron Averes	Updated [Aircraft type]
11-Feb-2022 08:49	Ron Averes	Updated [Location]