The South African Civil Aviation Authority (SACAA) has appealed to members of the public and the aviation industry to report any unscrupulous civil aviation behaviour to the SACAA.
The South African Civil Aviation Authority (SACAA) has appealed to members of the public and the aviation industry to report any unscrupulous civil aviation behaviour to the SACAA.
This follows a rise in reports to SACAA of irregular behaviour, such as faking pilot licences.
A statement released by CAA said that 95 cases were administered between January 2013 and March 2014 compared to 73 during the preceding calendar year and 32 in 2011.
The statement reads that culprits ranged from air traffic controllers to pilot’s licence holders, air operating certificate holders, aircraft maintenance organisations, aviation training schools, aircraft maintenance engineers, aviation security regulated agents, and airport licence holders.
A recent court case involved a 33-year-old Congolese national, who appeared before the Kempton Park Magistrate Court on charges of forging a South African commercial pilot’s licence.
According to the statement the man's arrest came after an anonymous person tipped off the SACAA.
The man allegedly forged a South African commercial pilot’s licence to get a re-validation of a commercial pilot's licence which was issued by the Democratic Republic Congo's Civil Aviation Authority.
The man was arrested in Kempton Park while trying to conduct simulator training, in order to keep his fraudulent DRC-issued commercial pilot’s licence valid.
Khoza said that besides opening criminal cases against some of the culprits, other penalties included the withdrawal of aircraft certificates of airworthiness as well as medical certificates.
SACAA Director, Poppy Khoza, said, “The SACAA is working closely with the DRC Civil Aviation Authority in order to ensure that this unscrupulous individual, and any other like him, does not get to sit in the cockpit any time soon. It is selfish and callous individuals such as this one that taint the virtuous reputation of the aviation industry built by devoted and trusted aviators.
"We hope that at the end of this process he is made to face the full might of the law and that others can learn about the dire consequences of this sort of criminal behaviour.”
If convicted, the accused could face a monetary penalty of up to R50 000, or a 10-year imprisonment term, or both.
Unscrupulous behaviour in the aviation industry is relatively rife. Other lawbreakers were issued with penalty notices and warning letters, while others had their various licences, certificates or approvals suspended, or downgraded, or cancelled.
"With the high number of accidents, we have no choice but to rid the aviation industry of these assassins disguised as aviators,” said Khoza.
“The effort and support from the public and members of the aviation industry is laudable. We truly relish the co-operation and would like to record our undertaking that the SACAA will leave no stone unturned in pursuit of preserving aviation safety and the lives of the flying public. We hope this case sends a clear message to other unprincipled individuals that the SACAA will not tolerate any form of unethical conduct by any member of the aviation community or our personnel", said Khoza.
In February Grocott's Mail reported a case of Nedson Likhunya, an aspiring pilot, who was nabbed by SACAA for forging a licence.
Likhunya was found guilty and sentenced to three years in jail for contravening civil aviation regulations.
Likhunya was convicted of forgery after he used Soponuchi Amadi’s private pilot’s licence number and altered the document by replacing Amadi's photo with his own.
Likhunya's private pilot’s licence will be cancelled in what SACAA described as a precedent-setting conviction.
The public is urged to use the SACAA’s Tip-offs Anonymous facility, 0800 997 263 (free call) or sacaa@tip-offs.com and the Confidential Aviation Hazard Reporting System (CAHRS) cahrs@caa.co.za or 011 545 1453 (fax) or 011 545 1242 (telephone).
