2012 Carterton hot air balloon crash · New Zealand
On January 7, 2012, 2012 Carterton hot air balloon crash (New Zealand). 11 people died.
- Date
- January 7, 2012
- Place
- New Zealand
- Killed
- 11
- Position
- 41.017°S, 175.545°E
- Wikidata ID
- Q4625098
From Wikipedia
On 7 January 2012, a scenic hot air balloon flight from Carterton, New Zealand, collided with a high-voltage power line while attempting to land, causing it to catch fire, disintegrate and crash just north of the town, killing all eleven people on board.
An inquiry into the accident by the Transport Accident Investigation Commission (TAIC) concluded that the balloon pilot had made an error of judgement when contact with the power lines became imminent, trying to outclimb the power lines rather than using the rapid descent system to drop the balloon quickly to the ground below. Toxicology analysis of the balloon pilot, Lance Hopping, after the accident tested positive for tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), suggesting he may have been under the influence of cannabis at the time of the crash, which ultimately led to the error in judgement.
Text from Wikipedia, “2012 Carterton hot air balloon crash”, CC BY-SA 4.0; shortened to the introduction. Authors.
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Source: Wikidata (CC0) and Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Figures such as deaths are as recorded there and may differ from official reports.
