It will be the Government's decision whether or not the Civil Aviation Authority can administer random drug tests on commercial balloon pilots in the future.
The resumed coronial inquest into the Carterton balloon crash, which killed 11 people on January 7, 2012 continued yesterday, with Chris Ford from the CAA giving evidence.
Mr Ford told the lawyer for some of the families, Alastair Sherriff, that the Transport Minister had requested a report into random drug testing last year, but it was yet to be completed.
He told the court the CAA do not currently have the ability to carry out random drug tests on commercial balloon pilots, and whether they had that ability in the future was for the government to decide. On Tuesday, Mr Ford was questioned on a number of Aviation Related Concerns (ARCs) about hot-air balloon pilot Lance Hopping in earlier years.
Complaints were made about Mr Hopping being too impaired to fly and cheating on his pilot's test prior to the tragedy in Carterton, however no action was taken by the CAA.
