Te Rata Bridge

The Te Rata Bridge was a suspension bridge over the River Retaruke in King Country in New Zealand. On March 22, 1994 tore two cross beams, while the beekeeper Kenneth Richards crossed the bridge. He fell 30 feet into the river and died. Since then, the event has become a political issue.

The bridge was built in 1986 for the land owners Keith and Margaret Berryman by members of the New Zealand Army. The static calculations were from Lieutenant John Armstrong.

G.W. Butcher, a former civil engineer and army officer retired, was commissioned after the collapse, to prepare a report on the stability of the bridge. The twelve-sided Butcher Report was completed in 1997. The report sees the cause of the collapse of the bridge on the one hand the lack of bracing and the other in the irregular maintenance of the bridge by the owner.

However, the New Zealand army held back the report, under the pretext that it would undermine military discipline. The report was published against the judge's order from the attorney of Berry Mans, Rob Moodie on the internet. The Berry Mans were convicted and lost due to the legal fees now also their country of manslaughter.