CAA probe for balloon firm in crash

The accident area in Carterton. Photo / APN

Civil Aviation Authority will investigate the company involved in Saturday's hot-air ballooning disaster under the Health and Safety Act to consider whether it had properly carried out its responsibilities to its employees and passengers.

The authority would not say if the company, Early Morning Balloons, had achieved certification under new adventure aviation rules that all commercial ballooning companies are required to meet by May 1.

"The CAA will not be making interim statements throughout this investigation," the authority said yesterday.

Under current rules, balloonists who wish to carry fare-paying passengers must hold a specialised commercial pilot (balloon) licence, and the balloon itself must hold a valid certificate of airworthiness. To obtain the certificate, balloons are checked annually by a specialist aircraft maintenance engineer.

Before Saturday's accident, it has been more than 16 years since anyone died in a ballooning accident in New Zealand. Three people died when a hot air balloon was swept out to sea in the Christchurch area in 1995.

The authority said there had been six other non-fatal balloon accidents since 1992, with only one involving a wirestrike in 1992 - but no one suffered any injuries.

In 2001, a balloon struck the top of trees before landing in Glen Eden and in 2010, a balloon was dragged some distance by a wind squall after landing in Hastings. One person suffered grazing and bruises after being dragged along with the balloon.

There were 17 incidents involving balloons over the past 20 years, with wires involved in six. These included a balloon striking a roadside powerline at Eyrewell in 1996, a wind change causing a balloon's basket to touch a powerline in 1997, two incidents in 2000 in Methven and Taupo, and a 2002 incident near Papanui when a balloon was blown into powerlines causing one to snap. In 2007, a balloon's tether rope caught around a powerline after a wind gust near Glenorchy.

Balloon rides were postponed yesterday, but operators said it was because of bad weather and not the tragic weekend accident.

Auckland-based companies Balloon Expedition and Balloon Safaris said they had had no cancellations as a result of the Carterton crash and intend to fly as soon as the weather permits.

"It's been too wet and windy to fly, but we'll be flying again as soon as God stops it blowing and raining," said Balloon Expedition director Dianne McKee.

"We've had a couple of cancellations, but those people have said it wasn't because of that [balloon accident]."

Balloon Safaris director Andrea Barrow said she too had had no cancellations following the disaster.