"Joburg flying school facing non-safety claims"
Posted: Thu Aug 25, 2011 2:41 pm
"Cape Town - The SA Civil Aviation Authority said on Thursday it had already conducted an inspection at the Johannesburg School of Flying which has been accused of putting students in danger in order to cut costs.
Eyewitness News reported on Thursday that it was in possession of “secret recordings” and a letter from an ex-pilot at the school sent to its chief flying instructor in which the pilot raised concerns about aeroplane maintenance.
The letter was sent to management two weeks before he was fired, EWN reported.
The pilot allegedly experienced emergencies on five of the school's six aircraft.
When he approached the school's manager, Christopher Panayiotou, he was told to change an entry about an alternator failure on one of the planes.
The CAA told News24 that last year it suspended the school when it found that it did not have the correct “manual of procedure” (business operations) and was unhappy with the school files.
The school responded to the suspension by requesting another inspection, which was conducted in May this year.
When the CAA did the inspection on this occasion, it found that the school complied with its standards and requirements.
EWN also reported that the school said that the pilot wanted revenge after he was sacked for incompetence and that his allegations are unfounded.
Panayiotou was quoted as saying that all work being done on aircraft was legitimate and the pilot's work and behaviour was questionable."
http://www.news24.com/SouthAfrica/News/ ... s-20110825
