Probe: Pilot died after repairing kitset plane with duct tape

May 6, 2007, 0:39 GMT

Wellington - An official investigation found that the crash that killed crack New Zealand pilot John Borman, 60, occurred after he tried to repair his kitset amphibious plane with duct tape, it was reported on Sunday.

Borman, who had represented New Zealand in formation flying competitions, died in 2005 when he crashed into Lake Taupo as he tried to take off after makeshift repairs to the plane, which he built himself.

The aircraft had first been damaged when it hit the wake of a boat in a previous take-off attempt, according to an official report on the accident, published in the Herald on Sunday.

'After that damage, the aircraft was technically and legally unserviceable,' Civil Aviation Authority inspector Tom McCready said in his official report on the accident.

He said that Borman, whose wife survived the crash, patched up the damage to the nose of his high-performance Seawind plane with duct tape and a danger sign from a nearby construction site.

McCready said Borman may have developed a mindset known in the aviation industry as 'get-home-itis', adding, 'This is a situation in which normally conservative and capable engineers and pilots bend to the pressure of getting the aircraft home and make uncharacteristic decisions.'