This was the last of three aircraft ordered new by Tasman Empire Airways Ltd

The purchase agreement was signed at Burbank - August 1958

Signatories: Sir Leonard Isitt (Chairman of Directors, TEAL); F. A. Reeves (General Manager, TEAL) and

J. E. Boyce ( Lockheed Director of Sales, Pacific Area)

The New Zealand registration 'ZK-BMR' was reserved but not taken up

Entered onto the New Zealand Aircraft Register as ZK-TEC - December 01, 1959

Registered to Tasman Empire Airways Limited, Auckland, New Zealand

First flown at Burbank as ZK-TEC - December 04, 1959

Accepted by Tasman Empire Airways Limited at Burbank - December 14, 1959

The aircraft was named 'Akaroa' (Long Harbour)

Departed Burbank on the delivery flight to New Zealand - December 28, 1959

Arrived Auckland (Whenuapai) on completion of the delivery flight - December 29, 1959

Ferry route: Burbank - Honolulu - Nadi - Auckland

Operated its first revenue service Auckland - ? - January 1960

Departed Auckland on the ferry flight to the United States for LEAP modifications - December 27, 1960

Ferried Burbank - Auckland when modifications had been completed - February 1961

This aircraft was destoyed at Auckland (Whenuapai) Airport during a training flight - March 27, 1965

The airline had introduced a non-standard landing manoeuver to its pilot training program

This landing manoeuver was never employed when the aircraft was engaged in commercial passenger operations

The manoeuver involved overflying the runway threshold at precisely 140 knots at an altitude of less than 20 feet

The throttle was then retarded to 'idle' and the aircraft would drop almost vertically onto the runway

The reasoning behind this particular manoeuver remains a mystery

On this flight the crew consisted of: Captain; Check Captain; Flight Engineer; Navigator; the airline's

industrial personnel officer and an emergency procedures officer, standing behind them

As the speed dropped below 140 knots the aircraft impacted heavily on the runway

This impact collapsed the undercarriage, shedding the wings, engines and tailplane in the process

The tail skidded off the runway and across the grass towards the control tower

The crew members who were standing in the cockpit survived the impact

The flight crew activated the fire extinguishers before everyone evacuated the aircraft via the cockpit windows

The aircraft was destroyed by the subsequent fire

Salvageable parts were removed from the wreckage before the remains were pushed into a gully behind

the NAC hangars

This training procedure was quickly deleted from TEAL's flight manuals

Cancelled from the New Zealand Aircraft Register - ?

ZK-TEC. TEAL Jet Prop - 'Akaroa' in the standard livery at Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport, May 1960.

(R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 1808-948.)

ZK-TEC. TEAL Jet Prop - 'Akaroa' in the standard livery at Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport, date unknown.

(J. Hopton Copyright Image 1808-760.)

ZK-TEC. TEAL Jet Prop - 'Akaroa' in the standard livery with additional '21 Years' titles at Nadi Airport, April 1961.

(R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 1808-946.)

ZK-TEC. TEAL Jet Prop - 'Akaroa' in the standard livery at Auckland Whenuapai Airport, circa 1964.

(R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 1808-967.)

ZK-TEC. TEAL Jet Prop - 'Akaroa' in the standard livery at Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport, January 1965.

(R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 1808-953.)

ZK-TEC. TEAL Jet Prop - 'Akaroa' in the standard livery at Auckland Whenuapai Airport, March 27, 1965.

(R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 1808-440.)

ZK-TEC. TEAL Jet Prop - 'Akaroa' in the standard livery at Auckland Whenuapai Airport, March 27, 1965.

(R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 1808-441.)