Pilot lacked experience

Press, 20 April 1981, Page 7

Pilot lacked experience

PA • r Wellington ; A Hamilton pilot who died Jh an aircrash near Poririja last November probably flew into cloud, lost control'of his craft, and was unable to regain control before it crashed, said the Wellington district Coroner (Mr A. D. McGregor). He made this comment at an inquest into the deaths of the pilot, Maurice Garfield Pfeffer, aged 30, and his passenger, John Carmichael, both of Hamilton. The Coroner said the evidence showed the pilot flew into instrument meteorological conditions while on a

visual flight-rule flight plan. The pilot had had no experience of flying by reference to flight instruments in cloud and did not hold a valid instrument rating. He said the craft was flown jnto cloud without attaining a safe altitude and struck the high terrain in its path. The Coroner found that both men died on November 20. in high terrain, two kilometres west of Porirua. near Elsdon, because of multiple injuries suffered when the plane struck the terrain. Serious deterioration in the weather to the west of Porirua clearly had had a direct bearing on the fatal-’ ity.

A doctor's report and a D.S.I.R. report showed no alcohol or drugs detected on either person. Sergeant R. Carter said at the inquest that the plane was a Cessna 172. It had

been chartered from the Waikato Flying School. The two men had intended flying to Blenheim to repair a truck. On their way they had stopped at Paraparaumu Airport to refuel between 11.15 a.m. and 11.30 a.m. Porirua residents saw the craft flying low over the area. It did not seem to be in any difficulties. Radio communication with the aircraft was lost at 11.20 a.m. A search was made and the aircraft was found at 7.30 p.m. in bush between the. Elsdon Youth Camp and Colonial Knob.

The Chief Inspector of Air Accidents (Mr R. Chippindale) said in a report presented at. the inquest that in the. prevailing conditions and while flying at a low level, the. pilot might have had difficulty in identifying visual reference points. For whatever reason, the aircraft had turned and flown inland.