Aztec Air's Apache Operation

Aztec Air Ltd was established by Southbrook man Brear Warren (Jim) Boyd-Clark and commenced air charter services from Christchurch in October 1968 using Piper PA23 Apache ZK-BYB.

The Apache ZK-BYB was imported by and first registered to Airwork (NZ) Ltd on the 12th of October 1960. It was sold to to James Aviation (Rotorua) Ltd and registered to them on the 24th of November 1960. James Aviation who used it for charter work from Rotorua and also on NAC feeder flights to Tauranga and Hamilton as Rotorua awaited the opening of its new airport. 

On the 1st of July 1963 it was registered to Nelson-based Golden Coast Airways Ltd who used it on their air services that stretched from Hamilton to Greymouth. On the 7th of May 1965 the Apache hit a fence and was badly damaged when taking off at Westport. Newspaper reporting stated that both wings were badly damaged, the propellers were bent. Both motors will need an overhaul. The nose, which contained radio equipment, was also damaged. The aircraft was trucked to Christchurch for repairs at Airwork, the Piper agent before being registered to Airwork on the 4th of March 1966. During this time ZK-BYB received an extended nose, making it the only Apache in New Zealand to receive such a modification.

Piper Apache ZK-BYB sporting its extended nose at Ardmore on 3 September 1966.
Photo : B Kerr collection

On the 21st of September 1966 it was registered to Tauranga businessman Bob Owens and later to his company, R.A.O. Traders Ltd. In turn he leased it to one of his companies, Stars Travel, of which he was the managing director. Stars Travel along with Bob Owens' Mount Maunganui and Tauranga Stevedores Ltd and another Tauranga company, Adastra Aviation Ltd were later involved in the establishment of New Zealand's first real commuter airliner, Sky Travel (NZ) Ltd.

Piper Apache ZK-BYB sporting Stars Travel titles at Ardmore on 4 May 1968. Photo B Kerr collection

On the 25th of October 1968 to J Boyd-Clark of Christchurch who was to operate Aztec Air.

Both sides of Aztec Air's Piper Apache, ZK-BYB taken at Christchurch on 19 November 1968

Notice on the left hand side, the Airwork "Air Taxi and Charter Division" titles

Early Aztec Air advertising,  The Press, 26 October 1968

Aztec Air did not have its own licence, but rather operated under Airwork (N.Z.) 's licence which allowed to to operate air taxi and scenic charter services from Christchurch. 

In November 1968 Airwork applied to the Air Services Licensing Authority for permission to also operate air taxi and scenic charter services from Rangiora. Aztec Air, operating on this licence, inaugurated its air taxi and scenic charter services from Rangiora airfield on the 6th of February 1969. 

ZK-BYB again  on the 17th of December 1968, with the Airwork logo removed

A great view of the nose detail, taken at Christchurch on 17 December 1968. Photo : B Kerr

On the 12th of March four men, who were employed on a casual assignment to collect motor vehicles from Wellington, reserved seats for an NAC flight later that week without tickets being issued or paid for. When the date of travel drew near NAC was no longer able to provide seats on the particular flight and one of the four men tried to find alternative air travel which led them to Aztec Air. On the 18th of March 1969 the Apache left Christchurch for Wellington at 7.12 a.m. and was due there at 8.32 a.m. The last message from the plane was at 7.46 a.m., when it was near the Clarence River, about 20 miles north of Kaikoura. The message gave no indication of trouble and Jim Boyd-Clark gave his estimated time of arrival over Cape Campbell as 8 a.m. Boyd-Clark gave his estimated time of arrival over Cape Campbell as 8 a.m.

The Middle Hill station runholder, Mr G. King was mustering with some of his men. They were at 2500 ft or 3000 ft when they heard the aircraft overhead. “It sounded fairly loud,” Mr King said. “Then there was nothing, and I remember hoping that it hadn’t come down. The fog was so thick you couldn’t see five yards ahead.” Mr King said it was not until midday that they knew the plane had come down. The wreckage of the plane was spotted about 4pm that afternoon 900 ft below the summit of a steep 3600 ft hill six miles west of the Clarence River mouth by the pilot of a searching Royal New Zealand Air Force Devon. There were no signs of life. Just after dark last evening, an Army doctor from Blenheim was lowered from a Nelson helicopter to the aircraft, lying on its back. The doctor had no radio with him. The helicopter pilot, Mr J. Reid, also saw no sign of survivors. The Piper Apache hit the top of one ridge and catapulted into another, and then slid down a 70 degree slope into scrub, said Mr Reid last evening. He could see pieces of the aircraft on both ridges. There were no signs of fire. Sadly the pilot and his four passengers were killed.  

The air accident report, which was released in June 1969, said the pilot’s “relative inexperience” was a contributing factor in a light aircraft crash which caused the deaths of five people in the Kaikoura ranges on March 18... “As a holder of a commercial pilot’s licence, he had comparatively little experience at the time he met his death,” Mr Harvie said. “It is considered this contributed largely toward the accident, because, as far as circumstances can be assessed, it would probably have been more appropriate had he turned back just north of Kaikoura and descended in clearer air space to resume his flight northward along the coastline and beneath the cloud.” ...The pilot was not qualified to use instrument flying rules, and, in making an “honest attempt” to conform with visual flight rules, he was obliged to enter cloud during a descent over the Kaikouras. The aircraft hit high ground in cloud. Because his company, Aztec Air, Ltd, did not hold an air service licence (permitting it to carry goods or passengers), it acted only under charter to Airwork (N.Z.), Ltd. But the managing director of Airwork said his company had received no notification that Mr Boyd-Clark intended to undertake the fatal charter flight.

So ended the brief, sad story of this charter operation.