Fatal Microlight Accident in NZ

The president and chief instructor at a New Zealand microlight club
were killed in a crash on the weekend. Apparently they took a flight
at 3am, in the dark, in a thunderstorm, at a field with no lighting.
Speculation is that alcohol was involved, but this seems to border on
a suicide pact to me.

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/1/...ectid=10512496

'The worst possible night' for flying
5:00AM Monday May 26, 2008
By Elizabeth Binning

Two men who decided to take a microlight for an early-hours joyride in
appalling weather made it only 150m from the runway before crashing to
their deaths.

Police believe alcohol was a factor in the accident, which killed
senior Wairoa Aero Club members Antony Donald Bell, 30, and Darren
John McNay, 39.

The pair died when their Air Sea 601 microlight crashed after taking
off from Wairoa Airport about 3.15am yesterday.

It is understood the men may have been drinking at a party before
deciding to take the flight, in weather conditions that included heavy
showers, lightning and patches of fog.

A Civil Aviation Authority investigation is under way into the crash.

Both men leave behind widows. Mr McNay is believed to have children,
and Mr Bell's wife is due to give birth to their first child in the
next few months.

Sergeant Christopher Flood said the men took off from the airport in a
northerly direction, while a friend stayed at the hangar.

At 4.30am, when the microlight had not returned, the friend called
police and a search was launched. The crashed microlight was found at
first light.

Wairoa Aero Club secretary Richard Tollison said Mr Bell - who worked
on a family dairy farm - had been a microlight flight instructor for a
number of years. He also used to be qualified to instruct on domestic
aviation aircraft such as Cessnas.

Mr McNay was the club's president and worked as a stock agent for
Elders.

Mr Tollison said Mr Bell and Mr McNay had become friends through the
club and, because they were senior members, had keys to the hangar.

Mr Tollison said it was not common for people to fly at night but if
they did, the conditions had to be right. That was not the case on
Saturday night.

"Normally at night you would be flying on a moonlit night but not in
weather like last night; it was basically pouring with rain - the
worst possible night, most probably."

Mr Tollison said he was aware that there would be a perception of two
reckless young guys going out for a joyride flight after a few drinks,
but what happened was "completely out of character".

"We are shocked because Antony especially was really responsible in
the position that he has with the instructing. He was always ... on
the ball and being conscientious about safety, so it's a very big
surprise about what happened.

"It's sort of completely out of character. I don't know what to say
actually. It's a bit of a shocker."

Wairoa is a small club with about 12 members. It owns one aircraft but
others were either privately owned or - like the one that crashed -
leased.

Mr Tollison said it was too early to say how members would farewell Mr
Bell and Mr McNay.

"We are still in a bit of disarray and shock as to what's happened."