Pubdate: Fri, 19 Mar 2004
Source: New Zealand Herald (New Zealand)
Copyright: 2004 New Zealand Herald
Contact:  http://www.nzherald.co.nz/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/300
Author: BRIDGET CARTER

CRASH PILOT AFFECTED BY ALCOHOL

The pilot of the plane that crashed on Queensland's Hamilton Island, 
killing an Auckland family, had taken drugs and alcohol, an accident report 
has revealed.

Brisbane pilot Andrew Morris, 27, and his five passengers were killed 
instantly 18 months ago when a single-engine Piper Cherokee 6-300 plane 
smashed into a quarry near the end of the island's airport.

Among the passengers were Hillsborough couple Kevin and Joanne Bowles, 
their two children Michael, 6, and Sophie, 9, and an American honeymooner, 
whose wife was on an earlier flight.

In its report released yesterday, the Australian Transport Safety Bureau 
revealed that Mr Morris had been drinking the night before the crash, had 
cannabis in his bloodstream and had had seven hours' sleep before starting 
work on the day.

The report said that it was still unclear whether the crash was caused by 
engine trouble or pilot error, but the post-mortem results indicated that 
the fact that the pilot had taken drugs and alcohol could not be discounted.

Yesterday, Kevin Bowles' father, Ted, said he heard the findings on the 
afternoon radio news while driving with his wife in the car. He had not 
read the report.

"You feel completely gutted when you hear things like this," he said.

"It is one thing getting killed, but if it comes from a drunken or drugged 
pilot or something ... it is quite terrible."

The pilot had a blood alcohol concentration level 0.081 per cent, above the 
0.05 per cent legal limit for Australian drivers, although the results may 
have been slightly affected by the post-mortem process.

He could have become disorientated when he turned the plane shortly before 
the crash, and the alcohol consumption could have affected his balance.

The bureau expressed some concern about the level of training given to Mr 
Morris, who had been on the job only eight days.

But Island Air Taxis owner Alan Sweeney said Mr Morris had 1300 flying 
hours - about five times the number needed to get a commercial pilot's licence.

"He did his job well," he said.

There were no signs that he was affected by alcohol in any way.

"What is clear to my mind is that he had some sort of occurrence in flight.

"The engine was running roughly and for some reason he was unable to cope."

On September 26, 2002, when the crash occurred, the Bowles family were on a 
flight from Great Barrier Reef airport to their resort at nearby Lindeman 
Island.

They were on holiday at the resort with old family friends, the Phillips 
family, who had flown back earlier.

The flight should have taken seven minutes.

But witnesses reported hearing the aircraft's engine cough, misfire and 
then cut out shortly after take-off.

The pilot made a right turn at low level, the aircraft stalled and the 
plane descended and crashed.

Eileen Phillips, who flew off the island before the crash with her husband 
and children, said she had only a glimpse of the pilot that morning before 
the flight and could not tell whether he was affected by alcohol.

When someone had earlier mentioned that the accident may have been caused 
by pilot error, she discounted it.

"I just couldn't believe that would happen," she said.

A friend of the Bowles family, lawyer Derek Railey, said he would have to 
read the report before deciding whether the family could consider taking 
any legal action.

Mr Sweeney said his company had made a number of changes to improve flight 
safety as a direct result of the crash, including extending the length of 
the runway.

He also supported recommendations made by the bureau to look at introducing 
drug and alcohol testing for Australian pilots.
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MAP posted-by: Keith Brilhart