Police investigators trying to determine why a bus full of University of Otago students crashed off the Cardrona skifield road last Saturday do not expect to release their decision for another two weeks.
An inspection of mechanical components in the 45-seater 1986 Volvo bus, operated by the Dunedin branch of Passenger Transport Ltd, was completed in Wanaka on Monday afternoon.
Police Commercial Vehicle Investigation Unit (CVIU) head Sergeant Andrew Savage, of Dunedin, said it would be a couple of weeks before the crash investigators "have any firm answers".
A group of 40 University of Otago Selwyn College hostel students had a wild ride when their weekend ski trip bus careered off the bottom corner of the 14km Cardrona access road.
The Otago Daily Times understands brake failure has been ruled out as the cause of the accident.
Unit investigator Jeff Fleury and Land Transport Agency New Zealand inspector Warrick Andrews spent Monday afternoon inspecting the various mechanical components and air braking system in the 22-year-old bus.
Sgt Savage said the pair still had to submit their written report: "We've still got a number of people to interview before our investigation is completed."
He declined to comment on whether the driver of the bus was the main person police would be interviewing.
The general manager of Passenger Transport Ltd, Tony Baas, said the company was doing everything it could to assist the unit with its inquiries.
