Diatryma
20th Nov 2009, 03:32
Microlight deaths due to alcohol - Local News - Hawke's Bay Today (http://www.hawkesbaytoday.co.nz/local/news/microlight-deaths-due-to-alcohol/3906685/)
Microlight deaths due to alcohol
20th November 2009
Two Wairoa men who died after a microlight crash near the town's aerodrome in May last year gave themselves "very little chance of surviving" what appeared to be a late-night joyride, regional coroner Chris Devonport has said.
Alcohol, poor weather and an aircraft not legally rated for night flying had created a lethal mix and claimed the lives of 39-year-old Darryn John McNay and 30-year-old Antony Donald Bell on May 25, 2008.
"They should never have taken off in the aircraft with their levels of intoxication from alcohol and in such poor weather conditions," Mr Devonport said.
Both men were found to have been impaired by alcohol, at nearly three times the legal driving limit, and in Mr McNay's case there was also evidence he had used cannabis.
Mr Devonport said during the Coroner's Court hearing in Hastings he had decided not to hold an inquest as he did not believe it would elicit any further information to that gathered during investigations into the crash.
Those investigations revealed Mr McNay, who was president of the Wairoa Aero Club, and Mr Bell, the chief flying instructor at the club, had attended a social function at Awamate on the night of Saturday, May 24 and left about 2.30am on Sunday.
They had gone to the Wairoa Aerodrome with Duncan Clayton-Green, who watched from a hangar as the pair taxied away in a Zenith microlight about 3.15am. He did not see them take off although he said he was sure he saw the aircraft's lights about 30 seconds later - indicating the aircraft was airborne and turning south toward the Wairoa township.
When the pair failed to return Mr Clayton-Green called the police around 4.30am.
A Wairoa resident had reported hearing an aircraft approach, then turn away. Heavy rain was falling at the time.
The wrecked aircraft was found 150m from a runway at the aerodrome - a Civil Aviation report stating it had gone in near vertically, with the left wing striking the ground first.
A flight meter on board showed it had been airborne for at least six minutes, and the flap and elevator trims were set to a landing preparation position.
Both men were found dead at the scene. Mr Bell was in the right-side seat and Mr McNay in the left.
Mr Devonport said evidence had been received the pilot usually occupied the left seat - although either of the pair could have been at the controls as they were centrally located.
Mr McNay had no night-flying experience while Mr Bell's previous night rating status had not been maintained.
The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) had confirmed the weather was unsuitable and reduced visibility in the darkness was likely to have caused the pilot to lose sight of visual clues when approaching to land.
"Once an aircraft enters conditions under which the pilot cannot see a distinct visual horizon, errors in the perceived rate of turn can build up, and these errors can build to a point that control of the aircraft is lost, usually leading to a steep, diving turn."
A CAA examination of the aircraft revealed a slight difference in the flap symmetry, which would have required aileron trim to compensate.
It would have created a slight roll in the aircraft which could have been compensated for in daylight as the pilot would have picked up visual clues from the horizon.
"But if not compensated for in the darkness (it) could have caused an unusual altitude of the aircraft to develop."
A post mortem examination showed Mr McNay had 236mg of alcohol per 100mls of blood (the legal limit for driving is 80/100) as well as evidence of tetrahydrocannabinol - an ingredient of cannabis.
Mr Bell had an alcohol reading of 220mgs per 100mls of blood.
Di :ugh:
Microlight deaths due to alcohol
20th November 2009
Two Wairoa men who died after a microlight crash near the town's aerodrome in May last year gave themselves "very little chance of surviving" what appeared to be a late-night joyride, regional coroner Chris Devonport has said.
Alcohol, poor weather and an aircraft not legally rated for night flying had created a lethal mix and claimed the lives of 39-year-old Darryn John McNay and 30-year-old Antony Donald Bell on May 25, 2008.
"They should never have taken off in the aircraft with their levels of intoxication from alcohol and in such poor weather conditions," Mr Devonport said.
Both men were found to have been impaired by alcohol, at nearly three times the legal driving limit, and in Mr McNay's case there was also evidence he had used cannabis.
Mr Devonport said during the Coroner's Court hearing in Hastings he had decided not to hold an inquest as he did not believe it would elicit any further information to that gathered during investigations into the crash.
Those investigations revealed Mr McNay, who was president of the Wairoa Aero Club, and Mr Bell, the chief flying instructor at the club, had attended a social function at Awamate on the night of Saturday, May 24 and left about 2.30am on Sunday.
They had gone to the Wairoa Aerodrome with Duncan Clayton-Green, who watched from a hangar as the pair taxied away in a Zenith microlight about 3.15am. He did not see them take off although he said he was sure he saw the aircraft's lights about 30 seconds later - indicating the aircraft was airborne and turning south toward the Wairoa township.
When the pair failed to return Mr Clayton-Green called the police around 4.30am.
A Wairoa resident had reported hearing an aircraft approach, then turn away. Heavy rain was falling at the time.
The wrecked aircraft was found 150m from a runway at the aerodrome - a Civil Aviation report stating it had gone in near vertically, with the left wing striking the ground first.
A flight meter on board showed it had been airborne for at least six minutes, and the flap and elevator trims were set to a landing preparation position.
Both men were found dead at the scene. Mr Bell was in the right-side seat and Mr McNay in the left.
Mr Devonport said evidence had been received the pilot usually occupied the left seat - although either of the pair could have been at the controls as they were centrally located.
Mr McNay had no night-flying experience while Mr Bell's previous night rating status had not been maintained.
The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) had confirmed the weather was unsuitable and reduced visibility in the darkness was likely to have caused the pilot to lose sight of visual clues when approaching to land.
"Once an aircraft enters conditions under which the pilot cannot see a distinct visual horizon, errors in the perceived rate of turn can build up, and these errors can build to a point that control of the aircraft is lost, usually leading to a steep, diving turn."
A CAA examination of the aircraft revealed a slight difference in the flap symmetry, which would have required aileron trim to compensate.
It would have created a slight roll in the aircraft which could have been compensated for in daylight as the pilot would have picked up visual clues from the horizon.
"But if not compensated for in the darkness (it) could have caused an unusual altitude of the aircraft to develop."
A post mortem examination showed Mr McNay had 236mg of alcohol per 100mls of blood (the legal limit for driving is 80/100) as well as evidence of tetrahydrocannabinol - an ingredient of cannabis.
Mr Bell had an alcohol reading of 220mgs per 100mls of blood.
Di :ugh: