'NZ balloon pilot may have smoked dope'

THE pilot in New Zealand's hot air balloon tragedy was a long-term cannabis smoker who kept it from authorities, a coroner's inquest has been told.

Eleven people were killed in the fiery disaster during the early morning sightseeing trip over the Wairarapa near Carterton on January 7, 2012. It was, at the time, the second most deadly balloon accident in history.

Transport investigators say experienced balloon pilot Lance Hopping, 53, had traces of cannabis in his system, which may have affected his judgment.

Coroner Peter Ryan, in Wellington District Court on Monday, said the inquest was not to apportion blame but to establish the facts of what happened and to make recommendations to help prevent a similar disaster in future.

Detective Inspector Sean Hansen, who headed the police investigation, gave evidence of how the balloon hit 33kV lines and the electrical arc sparked a fire. An LPG tank ruptured and the gas added to the fire.

Two passengers, Alexis Still, 19, and Chrisjan Jordaan, 21, were killed when they jumped from a height of about 20m.

The heat from the fire lifted the balloon to a height of up to 150m before the balloon envelope failed and the basket fell to the ground, killing the remaining nine.

Det Insp Hansen also said Mr Hopping's medical certificate for his pilot's licence had expired about six weeks before the crash.

A post-mortem revealed he may have smoked cannabis up to five hours before the crash - despite him telling doctors he had never taken illegal drugs. His partner and an associate confirmed he had been a long-term cannabis smoker.

A witness, Bronwyn Brewster, the daughter of victims Desmond and Ann Dean, later told police they had seen, from a distance, Mr Hopping smoking something on a balcony less than 90 minutes before the crash.

However, once police began investigating the cannabis angle, they could not confirm Mr Hopping had smoked marijuana that morning. He may not have had time.

"I believe it's unlikely but I can't say it didn't happen," Det Insp Hansen said.

The line of questioning from lawyer Grant Burston, who is assisting the coroner, asked why Mr Hopping would smoke a joint within view of his ground crew and passengers.

The inquest is due to hear evidence from forensic experts on how long cannabis stays in a body. There are also varying accounts of how long Mr Hopping's body lay at the scene in warm summer weather.

Under questioning from a lawyer for some of the victims' families, Alastair Sherriff, Det Insp Hansen said it appeared the balloon's ground support crew did not have a first aid kit, and they did nothing while a neighbour and a tanker driver attempted CPR on two of the victims.

There was also evidence safety briefings were not always given to passengers.

The flight was captured from the ground by professional photographer Geoff Walker. The photos were immediately handed over to police, and the coroner has suppressed publication of any images that show the crash happening or any more graphic shots of the aftermath.

Anda sedang membaca artikel tentang

'NZ balloon pilot may have smoked dope'

Dengan url

http://suarabisikan.blogspot.com/2014/05/nz-balloon-pilot-may-have-smoked-dope.html

Anda boleh menyebar luaskannya atau mengcopy paste-nya

'NZ balloon pilot may have smoked dope'

namun jangan lupa untuk meletakkan link

'NZ balloon pilot may have smoked dope'

sebagai sumbernya