Pilot may have been impaired

An inquest in to the deaths of 11 people in a hot air balloon crash has focused on the possible drug impairment of pilot Lance Hopping, who also was killed when the balloon caught fire and crashed.

The pilot of a hot air balloon that crashed, killing all 11 occupants, could have still been impaired by cannabis, even if he had not smoked any on the day of the tragedy, an expert has told an inquest.

Australian pathologist Shelley Robertson gave evidence at the Coroner's hearing into the deaths, on the third day of the four-day hearing at Wellington District Court yesterday.

The hot air balloon, piloted by Lance Hopping, caught fire and crashed into a field after hitting power lines in Carterton in January 2012.

The inquest has focused a lot of attention on Mr Hopping's cannabis use.

Dr Robertson said it was impossible to know exactly how much THC was in Mr Hopper's system, but there was clearly some.

Because the cannabis was in Mr Hopping's system, she could not exclude the possibility that he was impaired by it. Cannabis use could affect a user longer than 24 hours after use, Dr Robertson said.

On Tuesday, pathologist Fintan Garavan said it was "highly unlikely" Mr Hopping smoked a cannabis cigarette before the flight.APNZ