Report: Hang-gliders died after chute fail

Two men died in a Queenstown hang-gliding accident last year after their safety chute failed, a preliminary report reveals.

Civil Aviation Authority safety investigator Colin Grounsell has published preliminarily investigation results on an industry website, The Southland Times reported.

However the final accident report into the horror crash on March 10 is unlikely to be released until an inquest next month.

Sky-Trek hang-gliding pilot Gerardo Bean and his passenger, Northland volunteer firefighter Andrew Scotland, were killed in the crash.

Footage from a video camera fitted to the hang-glider played a large role in determining the preliminary findings released to the New Zealand Hang Gliding and Paragliding Association a week after the crash.

Mr Groundsell's notes said complete failure of the A-frame and keel of the hang-glider was followed by a safety chute failure.

"The parachute was deployed (at high speed) but the bridal failed at the loop where it is connected to the parachute rigging lines," Mr Grounsell's notes state.

On Wednesday Sky-Trek owner Ian Clarke said he had no comment on the accident report or the inquest set for December 8 in Queenstown.

- NZPA