Pubdate: Thu, 23 Mar 2006 Source: Press, The (New Zealand) Copyright: 2006 The Christchurch Press Company Ltd. Contact: http://www.press.co.nz/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/349 Author: Janine Bennetts Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/pot.htm (Marijuana) PILOT IN CRASH HAD SMOKED CANNABIS A pilot killed when his glider hit a mountain near Omarama had smoked cannabis before taking off, air accident investigators say. Gregory John Brosnan, 44, of Hawea Flat, near Wanaka, died instantly when the single-seater glider he was flying crashed into a ridge on the Omarama Saddle, about 20km from Omarama township, on January 12 last year. A post-mortem toxicology report showed a level of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) in Brosnan's blood that would be consistent with Brosnan having smoked the equivalent of a single cannabis cigarette within about three hours of his death. The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) report said the nature of the terrain would have made it difficult for Brosnan to judge the height of the ridge top, which, combined with the THC, may have resulted in his making an error of judgment. It concluded the crash resulted from a combination of a sudden change in flying conditions and the effects of cannabis in Brosnan's bloodstream. Brosnan was an experienced pilot, having logged more than 240 flying hours. Friends said gliding was his greatest passion and some of his last words over the radio were: "Man, doesn't (Mount) Cook look awesome?" Derek Bussell, who instructed Brosnan and co-owned a glider with him, said he was not aware that Brosnan smoked cannabis. "I wouldn't have known whether he smoked pot or not. He never smoked pot in my presence," Bussell said. "Broz was an outdoors, outgoing sort of a chap." A family friend, who did not want to be named, said friends and family had thought Brosnan had given up smoking some time before the crash and were disappointed that it had come up in the investigation. CAA communications manager Bill Sommer said Brosnan's case was rare, and drugs and alcohol were not a major safety concern for the authority. He said that while there were rules against drugs and alcohol in civil aviation law, the authority did not regularly test private pilots. "We don't believe this is a widespread problem and it's very rare that such things happen." Sommer said commercial operators tested their pilots, but private pilots had to make their own judgment call. "It's always up to the individual. The responsibility and safety is clearly in the hands of the operator. Everyone knows that everyone's responsible for safety, not just the director of Civil Aviation," he said. Bussell said Brosnan was greatly missed in Otago gliding circles. "I think everyone misses him just purely on a personal level. He was a joy to have around and we don't have him around any more," Bussell said. - --- MAP posted-by: Richard Lake