Inquest begins into Northland firefighter killed in hang-glider crash

A coroners inquest in Queenstown has heard a commercial hang-glider was being flown beyond its limitations before it crashed, killing the pilot and passenger.
Sky-Trek hang-gliding pilot, Argentinian Gerardo Bean, and his passenger, Northland volunteer firefighter Andrew Scotland, died near Queenstown 20 months ago after their paraglider collapsed in flight.
A Civil Aviation Authority safety inspector told the inquest the hang-glider was being flown too fast, and was overdue for a maintenance inspection and there was no record of a Warrant of Fitness.
The parachute, which deployed then detached as the paraglider plunged, was described by CAA as not fit for the purpose and overdue for inspection.
The inquest continues this afternoon.
SOURCE: TVNZ