Hot Air Balloon Crashed, Cannabis Was Found In Pilot System

The pilot of a hot air balloon that crashed in New Zealand, causing the deaths of 11 people, had probably smoked marijuana before take off, investigators have said.

In a Transport Accident Investigation Commission report on the January 2012 balloon accident near the town of Carterton, investigators said it was "highly likely" that 53-year-old Lance Hopping had taken the drug shortly before the flight.

"Having considered all the evidence, the commission found that the accident was caused by errors of judgement by the pilot, and the possibility that the pilot's judgement was impaired by the use of cannabis cannot be excluded," Chief Commissioner John Marshall told reporters.
Two witnesses were quoted as saying they saw him smoking something in the morning and tests showed no indication that he had inhaled tobacco.

The balloon took off at 6.40am in good weather, but Hopping, they concluded, had made several errors of judgement including letting it get too low during the flight, applying the burners when he got near power lines in an attempt to rise above them and not descending fast enough when he was about to strike the lines.

A policeman mans the road where the balloon came down

The balloon basket became entangled in the lines and exploded into flames, the report found.
The heat then caused the balloon to break free of the wires and rapidly ascend, before crashing into the ground,
Two of the passengers who jumped out when the balloon was about about 20 metres (66 ft) up died in the fall. Hopping and the remaining passengers were killed when the balloon crashed to the ground.
The commission urged politicians to pass stricter drug restrictions for pilots, boat captains and other transport operators and said random drug tests were needed.

"It is totally unacceptable for anyone in a safety-critical transport role, such as a pilot, to be working while impaired by a substance, whether legal or not," Mr Marshall said.

The power lines bordering the area of the crash

"Cannabis has both short and long-term impact on judgement, decision-marking, and reaction time depending upon the person, the quantity, and the frequency of use."
Adventure tourism plays a significant role in New Zealand's economy. About 2.6 million tourists visit each year, according to government statistics, with about one-third participating in sports such as bungee jumping, skydiving or jet-boating.

But safety problems have increasingly come under the spotlight.
"To people thinking of going to New Zealand on an adrenaline sport, think twice," Briton Chris Coker said last year.
His son, Bradley Coker, 24, was one of nine people killed in a skydiving plane that crashed in 2010. Investigators found the plane was overloaded.
New Zealand's Ministry of Transport said it is carefully considering the investigators recommendations.