Dope seen as balloon crash 'scapegoat'

The Transport Accident Investigation Commission (TAIC) found pilot Lance Hopping made a fatal decision, likely while under the influence of cannabis, to try to outclimb powerlines in January 2012.

The Aotearoa Legalise Cannabis Party says cannabis is being used as the "scapegoat" in the Carterton balloon tragedy.

Last week the Transport Accident Investigation Commission (TAIC) found pilot Lance Hopping made a fatal decision, likely while under the influence of cannabis, to try to outclimb powerlines in January 2012.

He and his 10 passengers died when the balloon caught fire and crashed near Carterton.

Party leader Julian Crawford told the Times-Age the investigation could not conclude that cannabis caused the crash.

"The amount in his system was 2 nanograms/ml which is below the level indicating impairment recently set in Colorado for driving - 5ng/ml," said Mr Crawford.

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The commission's report said Mr Hopping's cannabis level was within the range considered enough to stop a driver from satisfactorily completing a police impairment test.

Asked if he envisaged an acceptable level of cannabis use for a balloon pilot, Mr Crawford said he did not advocate flying while impaired for any reason.

"But it's possible the same mistakes could have been made by a pilot who wasn't smoking cannabis."

He said friends and family of the pilot have suggested scenarios the small amount of cannabis in his system may have arisen from use the evening of the previous day "or potentially even second-hand smoke".

"Either way, it appears a reckless pilot as well as a gust of wind caused the crash, but cannabis is being used as a scapegoat in the tragedy."

The commission heard from two witnesses who said Hopping had been smoking 25 minutes before the flight. Their report said his toxicology was consistent with smoking cannabis four to six hours prior, and that he was unlikely to have been smoking tobacco. His urine tested negative for nicotine.

Mr Crawford said just because one pilot was reckless does not mean all cannabis users are reckless.

"New Zealand needs to have a serious conversation about the cannabis issue as a whole, including setting impairment levels based on scientific evidence, similar to how we treat alcohol impairment."