New Zealand's Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) charged the drummer of failing to disclose his drug use after marking 'no' to the question in a medical application form for his class two private pilot's licence to fly his own helicopter.

The questionnaire is part of the CAA medical exam, essential for flying and a licensed pilot cannot fly without a current medical certificate.

Phil denied trying to mislead anyone:

"I didn't lie and don't have a reputation for lying."

The drummer said he became drug free a police raid in 2010 and had been honest when he stated he did not have any alcohol or drug convictions. He insisted the CAA's medical examiner had recorded most of the answers to the medical history questions for him and then he just signed it.

Delivering his decision, Judge Louis Bidios said it was "very, very suspicious" that Phil Rudd answered the question falsely, but the question itself was also not explicitly clear.

Despite dismissing the charge, Judge Bidois was critical of AC/DC's timekeeper during his time in the witness box:

"He struck me as being someone whose attention span was limited, who was easily distracted and who could easily get confused because he didn't listen... the cause of these characteristics is not known but the possibility of long-term drug use could be a factor. Mr Rudd was not a convincing witness. Overall he wasn't impressive and should stick to drumming. (...) Due to those apparent personality traits I wouldn't want Mr Rudd to be the pilot (of a helicopter) that I was in."

In the end, Judge Bidois said there was a reasonable possibility that the musician was telling the truth but he wasn't convinced either way and only had his suspicion which wasn't enough to convict him.

Phil Rudd admitted one charge of failing to maintain a pilot's logbook for which he was yesterday convicted and fined $750 plus court costs and solicitor's costs of $150.