An inexperienced hang glider died after attempting a risky manoeuvre from the top of Paekakariki Hill, against advice and with alcohol in his system, an inquest has heard.
Levin man Andrew Mark Cairns, known as Mark, died from head, chest and abdominal injuries after his glider crashed near the top of Paekakariki Hill on February 27, 2011.
The 47-year-old builder had begun hang gliding training 10 weeks earlier, and sat his beginner and novice exams only the day before.
He had completed the final two flights he needed to achieve the certification on the morning of his death, and had unexpectedly dropped in on friend and fellow hang glider David Dorne later to suggest they fly from Paekakariki Hill that evening.
Dorne told the court yesterday that the pair had agreed to land on the beach near the Fishermans Table restaurant. After watching Cairns soar for 10 minutes, Dorne took off himself toward the beach.
When he landed about 15 minutes later, he realised Cairns was not with him, and began searching the beach, the hill and an airstrip nearby at which Cairns’ car had been left.
Police and search and rescue were alerted a couple of hours later and the Westpac rescue helicopter found Cairns’ body and the glider just before 3am.
Cairns had asked about “top landing” as they drove up the hill – a term for landing on top of a hill, usually around the same spot as take-off, Dorne said.
Several witnesses gave evidence that top landing was a difficult manoeuvre, and Paekakariki Hill was a particularly dangerous place to attempt it, even for advanced pilots, because of the risk of hitting “rotor” winds, or patches of turbulence.
A Civil Aviation Authority investigation and an assessment for the NZ Hang Gliding and Paragliding Association concluded it was likely Cairns had been attempting a top landing when he crashed.
Cairns was also using a glider that did not have a current warrant of fitness, and that he had not flown before. There was no suggestion of a mechanical failure.
Dorne also said he had seen Cairns drink one beer that morning, and he did not seem drunk when he arrived at Dorne’s home.
Two toxicology reports were carried out on Cairns. One showed he had 73mg of alcohol per 100ml of blood, a little below the legal driving limit of 80mg, and the other showed 92.2mg.
Cairns had four drink-driving convictions and had only just got his driving licence back.
Partner Kim Worthington told the court his drinking – six to eight beers every night – had become an issue in their relationship.
Coroner Ian Smith gave parties 30 days to make final written submissions, after which he would issue his findings.
– The Dominion Post
