French findings into Air NZ crash accepted by coroner

Salvage workers from Perpignan, Southern France try to salvage the tail plane wreckage from the Air New Zealand Airbus A320. Photo / Supplied by TV3

A New Zealand coroner has decided against opening a full inquest into the deaths of five Air New Zealand crew in a crash in France, instead accepting a French inquiry's rulings.

Hamilton coroner Gordon Matenga had considered an inquest into the deaths of Air New Zealand captain Brian Horrell, 52, and engineers Murray White, 37, Michael Gyles, 49, Noel Marsh, 35, and Jeremy Cook, 58.

All five died along with German pilots Norbert Kaeppel, 51, and co-pilot Theodor Ketzer, 58, who were conducting a low speed, low altitude test after a technical overhaul when the Airbus A320 crashed off the coast of Perpignan, France on November 27, 2008.

Mr Matenga decided after reading the findings of the Bureau d'Enquetes et d'Analyses pour la securite de l'avation civile (BEA) that there was no need to resume the inquiry.

The BEA report found the crash was the fault of pilots undertaking a risky manoeuvre and poor maintenance procedures.

It said the pilots were not competent to fly at such a low level and that ground crew had incorrectly washed the Airbus A320, causing water to enter key detectors.

Mr Horrell's wife Shellie told Mr Matenga she didn't think the BEA investigation had been sufficiently thorough.

"Neither have its findings been appropriately documented to ensure the true reasons for the accidents are recorded, and more particularly, (so that) all learnings possible are available for parties to ensure there will never be a repeat of such an incident.

"In all of this what needs to be remembered is that in the same circumstances exactly the same problem will present again."

But Mr Matenga said he didn't agree the BEA investigation was not thorough, though its findings might not be expressed in a way Mrs Horrell liked.

"Some of this may be put down to the translation from French to English, but the issues raised by this crash, in my view, have been identified by the BEA and recommendations made.

"I am satisfied that the appropriate investigating agency, with appropriate expertise has investigated the cause and circumstances of the crash and resultant deaths."

Mr Matenga found that all five died of multiple traumatic injuries sustained in a crash that was not survivable.

- NZPA