Rogue individual compromises airline safety

The Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) recently concluded their investigation into video footage taken by a camera attached to a remote-controlled model plane that deliberately flew close to a 737 aircraft as it was coming in to land at Perth airport on 17 April 2009.

The video footage was set to music from the movie Top Gun and shows the model plane flying dangerously close to the aircraft. The model plane had metal parts that, among other things, could have been sucked into the engine of the 160-seat aircraft and caused engine failure. The video footage shows the model plane going into a spin and crashing to the ground after being caught in the 737’s jet wash.

The man who flew the model plane has been lucky to escape prosecution in the this case, but the incident wasn’t without consequences. In addition to prosecution, CASA has a system of administrative fines for breaches of the Civil Aviation Regulations. The level of the fine CASA issues depends upon the gravity of the offence as determined by the maximum penalty that a court may impose. Although CASA won’t disclose details of the fine imposed in this case, it has been reported that a fine of about $3000 is likely to have been imposed.

This case highlights the impact an individual can have on airline safety, with the proud safety record of airline operators being compromised by a rogue individual. The airline, which helped in the investigation, said it strongly supported authorities using the full extent of the law to deal with individuals who operate model planes in close proximity to an airport.

Written by Kristin Hibbard, Graduate-At-Law