British Airways pilot jailed after faking test flight

• A former British Airways pilot has been jailed for fraud after admitting to falsifying his flying experience.
• A source told The Times that doubts arose after he pressed the button “No qualified pilot will do.”
• The former pilot forged training certificates and falsely claimed to have flown 1,610 hours as a captain.

A former British Airways pilot has been sentenced to one year in prison after pleading guilty to falsifying his flying experience.

He was sentenced to 12 months in prison at Crown Court in Snaresbrook in east London, UK, on ​​Monday after pleading guilty to four counts of fraud and two breaches of the 2016 Air Navigation Order, which regulates safety standards, according to the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) and court documents that sees her London times.

The pilot falsely claimed to have traveled 1,610 hours as a captain and faked training certificates while applying for a job at BA CityFlyer, British AirwaysA regional airline, according to court documents seen by The Times.

Between April 2016 and March 2018, he worked as a pilot for BA CityFlyer, which operates out of London City Airport, and the now-defunct Irish regional airline Stobart Air, which was owned by Aer Lingus. He was with each carrier for a year, according to court documents cited by the newspaper.

A source told the British newspaper, The Times, that BA CityFlyer officials initially became suspicious after an incident “on the ground” in Switzerland when the pilot pressed a button “no qualified pilot will do”, without providing further details.

He was investigated by the CAA, who took legal action.

The Times reported that the pilot tampered with the log by recording his flying hours while working for his former employer, Hangar 8 Management, which operates the same way. Embraer 190 Airplane like BA CityFlyer. He has also falsely said he has had a private pilot’s license since 1998, according to court documents cited by The Times.

When Insider contacted, British Airways said the pilot was fully qualified and certified. The airline said the case concerned incorrect information contained in the references it provided while placing an application.

“The safety of our customers and crew is always our priority, and the fully qualified pilot was suspended and an investigation began as soon as BA CityFlyer became aware of the discrepancies in his career record,” an airline representative told Insider. “There was no danger to clients or colleagues at any time.”

Jonathan Spence, General Counsel of the Civil Aviation Authority, said the prosecution of the authority and the ruling “show that crimes of this nature are taken seriously by the Civil Aviation Authority and the courts. The integrity of pilots is at the heart of aviation safety and we will take all necessary steps to maintain this situation “.

Aer Lingus and Hangar 8 Management did not respond to Insider’s requests for comment.