Showing passengers how to deflate an in-flight hot air balloon in the event of an emergency is not going to help safety in the aviation industry, the inquest was told.
UK ballooning expert Phil Dunnington was the first witness to give evidence at the third day of the inquest into the deaths of 11 people at Carterton in January 2012.
According to recommended emergency procedure, balloon operator Lance Hopping should have commenced an emergency descent when it became apparent the balloon was at risk of striking power lines.
Mr Dunnington told the inquest this course of emergency descent had been impractical at the time of the crash.
"While there may have been a theoretical window ... induced by deflation of the envelope might have allowed a relatively safe descent to the ground with minor injuries before fire started, the reduced [time] intervals make this a less likely possibility."APNZ
