But after a four-hour inquest, the Northland mother-of-two was told her long wait would have to continue after Coroner David Crerar adjourned the case.
Mr Scotland (34), a volunteer Waipu firefighter, and Gerardo Bean (29) a Skytrek Tandem Hang Gliding Ltd pilot, from Argentina, were killed on March 10, last year, after the North Wing T2 tandem hang-glider and Charly Duo 160 reserve parachute both failed, causing them to crash into Boyd's Paddock, off State Highway 6, between the Remarkables access road and Kelvin Heights.
Mr Bean was killed on impact.
Mr Scotland died at the scene soon after.
At the time, Mrs Scotland - who witnessed the crash - was four months' pregnant with her second son, now aged 16 months.
She told the Otago Daily Times it had been "a long wait" for the inquest.
While she expected "some sort of finish" yesterday, "there's still more".
"I think it's positive ... what I would like is for things to change, so it doesn't happen to somebody else ever again.
"I'm not here to lay blame - Gerardo lost his life as well, but ultimately, I would like things to change."
Mr Crerar heard from several witnesses and experts yesterday before deciding to adjourn the hearing, due to "adverse comment" he would be making in his written findings.
During the hearing, Skytrek Tandem Hang Gliding Ltd owner-operator Ian Clark said that after watching the video footage of the flight, he concluded the glider failure was due to "the pilot operating the glider outside its recommended flight envelope".
"On March 4, 2009, Skytrek had a general company meeting, one of the items being about safe flying technique.
"Every year, I give the same warning at this time ... because pilot confidence with equipment and sites are at their peak and some pilots can demonstrate over-confidence by extending the flight envelope of the gliders being flown."
Mr Crerar asked Mr Clark about the company's safe operating procedures, which stated there were to be no aerobatic moves and the pitch was not to exceed 30deg on a flight.
Failure to adhere to the standards were grounds for "instant dismissal" within the company.
When asked, Mr Clark said it was not the first time Mr Bean had exceeded 30deg on a flight.
As a result, Mr Clark would call a meeting with the pilots and say "this needs to stop", he said.
However, Mr Crerar said instead of dismissing Mr Bean, Mr Clark gave him another chance.
"He's [Mr Bean] caused the death of himself and someone else."
Under cross-examination, Senior Constable Chris Blackford, of Queenstown, referred Mr Clark to Skytrek's operations manual, which stated "the owner-operator will ensure all operational equipment is maintained to a serviceable standard".
"We've heard evidence the warrant of fitness was not current; the webbing was [compromised] - it would be really quite wrong for anybody to believe it was all the pilot's fault," he said.
Mr Clark said he was "not trying to hide my responsibilities as the owner".
Among those giving evidence was John Berry, an international display skydiver with an extensive background in the industry, who provided a report for the CAA and Queenstown police.
He believed the failure of the glider was primarily due to it being flown outside the manufacturer's recommended limits, which imposed a load greater than the glider was designed for.
A video from the flight had been examined and Mr Berry said once the pair were over the landing field, Mr Bean said "... wingovers".
"Gerardo initiates a high-speed dive, flying with the control bar pushed back as far as his reach will allow.
"This will generate maximum speed possible in the glider.
"A steep, climbing right-hand bank follows.
"Immediately thereafter, another high-energy dive is performed, followed by a climbing left-hand bank.
"Part-way through this left-hand bank, the onboard camera records the left-hand A-frame down tube bowing inwards and failing, as [it is] subjected to excessive loading in compression.
"The bowed upright exceeds its elastic limit, folds and fails completely."
Mr Berry said the right-hand upright failed in "rapid succession" and, at that point, the glider had lost all of its structural integrity.
"According to witness statements, the glider folded up like a dart, diving toward the ground at high speed," Mr Berry said.
Adrian Rice, a friend of Mr Scotland's and fellow volunteer firefighter who witnessed the crash, said that as the glider started to fall, he saw the reserve parachute come out and begin to open up before "it just let go and collapsed and floated away from the glider".
Mark van der Werf, another Skytrek pilot who landed just before the fatal flight, said he heard the sound "along the lines of a snap or pop" and yells "which sounded like Gerardo".
The pair were in free fall and hit the ground head first.
Both men suffered massive head trauma.
The nose of the glider was buried about 30cm into the ground.
The safety chute was lying in the paddock near the glider and had separated from the bridle, he said.
Detective Lisa Watt, of Queenstown, said the coronial autopsy report stated Mr Bean died from haemorrhage and shock from multiple severe injuries consistent with the effects of high-speed ground impact.
Blood samples showed a "trace" of alcohol.
No drugs were present.
Mr Scotland died due to haemorrhage and shock from multiple severe injuries, including cardiac, aortic and hepatic lacerations.
No alcohol was detected in his system.
CAA safety investigator Colin Grounsell said the pilot's "intentional actions" to operate the hang-glider outside manufacturer's limitations was the "prime contributing cause of the accident".
"This was despite there being safety guidance requirements specified in the operator's operations manual and the pilot being cautioned that he should operate in a safe manner.
"I would like to add that it has been my observation that during the course of this investigation it became apparent that this type of flying behaviour is not isolated to this occurrence alone."
Mr Crerar adjourned the hearing, but asked police and the CAA to review Skytrek's promotional video, which showed hang-glider pilots doing "swoops and dives and twists and turns".
He also gave an assurance to friends and family of both men in court yesterday he would take the matter to the "highest possible" avenue.
"My primary function is to make sure this doesn't happen again."
