Civil Aviation Authority of New Zealand
21 March 2006

MEDIA RELEASE

For further information contact:
Bill Sommer
Tel: 0-4-560 9411 or 0-27-546 8216

The accident report can be viewed on the CAA web site, www.caa.govt.nz, under Accidents & incidents - Fatal accident reports - 05/31 ZK-GIX, 11 NM South West of Omarama, or use this link: http://www.caa.govt.nz/Accident_Reports/ZK-GIX_Fatal_12Jan2005.pdf

Begins

ZK-GIX, 11 nautical miles south west of Omarama, 12 January 2005

A Civil Aviation Authority safety investigation has concluded that the pilot of a glider died from injuries when the aircraft struck a ridge close to the summit of the Omarama Saddle at approximately 4:00pm on 12 January 2005.

The pilot, who was on a private flight operating in the locality of Omarama, was properly certificated and rated for the type of glider he was flying, and the glider had been properly maintained and appeared to be airworthy prior to the accident. The post-mortem examination did not reveal any evidence of a pre-existing medical condition that could have resulted in incapacitation or affected the pilot's ability to fly the glider, but there was evidence of Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) in the pilot's blood, which may have compromised his fitness for flight.

Toxicology tests showed that the pilot had a blood THC level of 7 micrograms per litre. The toxicology report stated that this level would be consistent with the pilot having smoked the equivalent of a single cannabis cigarette within about 3 hours prior to his death and that the level of THC in the pilot's blood was such that it is very likely that he was affected by the drug at the time of his death.

Evidence at the crash site revealed that the glider struck the ground in a near straight and level attitude, consistent with the pilot attempting to cross the ridge.

Although the pilot of another glider operating at the same location just prior to the accident did not report any adverse or dangerous flying conditions, and glider pilots are generally able to predict the conditions in which they will be flying, there is always the element of unpredictability regarding gusts and sink areas. Also the nature of the terrain was such that it may have been quite difficult to judge the height of the top of the ridge. This, combined with the fact that there was THC in the blood, may have resulted in the pilot making an error of judgement.

The CAA investigation concluded that while it was not possible from the evidence to determine a definite cause for the accident, the accident may have resulted from either, or a combination of:

  • A sudden change in the environmental conditions in which the glider was flying.
  • The effects of cannabis in the pilot's bloodstream hindering his ability to judge and react appropriately to his surrounding circumstances.

There were no safety recommendations made as a result of this accident.