Carterton balloon crash findings spark safety fear

Thursday, February 23, 2012 12:24

SAFETY CALL: An initial finding into the Carterton ballooning tragedy has led to the Transport Accident Investigation Commission recommending that all 74 of New Zealand's hot-air balloons be checked urgently to make sure they are safe.

Lynda Feringa

The Transport Accident Investigation Commission (TAIC) has recommended all 73 of New Zealand's hot-air balloons be checked urgently to make sure they are safe after an initial finding into the Carteron ballooning tragedy found anomalies in that balloon's maintenance.

TAIC chief commissioner John Marshall QC said it was too early to say whether maintenance issues actually contributed to the accident, which killed 11 people in January but "evidence gathered by our investigators suggests the balloon's maintenance may not have complied with civil aviation rules.

"Where an aircraft is not maintained in accordance with those rules then it would not meet the standard for 'airworthy condition'. The evidence did not relate to examination of the balloon wreckage, he said.