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SUPPLIED
Hannah Francis, 11, died in a bus accident on Mount Ruapehu in July 2018.
A transport expert says that the bus involved in an accident that killed an 11-year-old boy on Mount Ruapehu was not suitable for such terrain.
The investigation into the death of Hannah Teresa Francis resumed before Coroner Brigitte Windley in Auckland on Wednesday.
Hannah died after a Ruapehu Alpine Lifts (RAL) bus capsized on Mount Ruapehu on July 28, 2018.
The Mitsubishi Fuso bus, carrying 31 passengers, passed at the 9-kilometer mark on Ōhakune Mountain Rd, which travels 17 km up Mount Ruapehu to Tūroa.
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On Wednesday, John Gibbons, who inspected the bus after the accident, took the stand.
Gibbons, who has 30 years of experience, acted as a consultant to Transport Specification Ltd.
The bus driver had asked TSL to inspect him after the accident.
Gibbons said he inspected the bus on Aug. 30, 2018, and based on his observations, he said the accident was not caused by brake fade or sustained brake use.
Many experts have concluded that the driver error is the probable cause of the accident.
In Gibbons’ opinion, the bus was not suitable for use in mountainous terrain.
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The cause of the accident is being discussed in a coronary investigation.
He said it had an inappropriate brake design and that its stopping capabilities were questionable.
It was a suburban bus that was intended to transport people “from hotel to hotel.”
“That is its purpose, in my opinion,” he said.
Gibbons’s opinion on bus use is similar to that of a former RAL driver.
At the beginning of the investigation, Raymond Lewis said the buses were old and made about 11 trips a day.
“The buses were more suitable for taking school trips in the city than going up and down the mountain.”
Lewis said this was because there was less room for error on the mountain and buses had to be driven very carefully.
“It is not something that can be taken lightly.”
Lewis said he left RAL three weeks after the accident because he found it “was not the best place to be.”
The investigation continues.
