Well I hope for their sake Sandilands and Crikey have gotten their facts right, because if he had accused me of recklessly endangering pax on false allegations, it is a toss up whether I would be reaching for a club or a phone to call my solicitor.
Even if the allegation were true - that the fault was identified earlier in the flight and the engine shut down near Canberra, I find it difficult to understand how a pilot could have foreseen the danger of a feathered prop flying off the aircraft. It is a very rare occurrence to start with and in all instances of which I am aware, it has happened whilst a prop was being powered.
The whole piece reads like someone has an axe to grind and I'm afraid that whatever the outcome of the investigation, Sandilands has slid down the dungheap of journalism and joined the baggage handler in my estimation.