2 Aussies Shut Down Singapore Airspace for 50 Minutes, 2 F-16s Scrambled to Intercept

[Thermal Image]

Funny how this story is not reported in D & G Reporting Points; too embarrassed about their own perhaps?

Even the Australian press have a report on it here (http://www.news.com.au/travel/story/0,26058,23101111-5009000,00.html).

The pilot was not named. But can it be that one of the 2 owners, a Rhys Thomas, ex Ansett Airlines pilot, had no clue about filing flight plans and that sort of bothersome administrative details when crossing international boundaries?

Of course the Singapore press have the story here (http://www.straitstimes.com/Free/Story/STIStory_199383.html).

Jan 24, 2008

AIRSPACE SHUTDOWN

Two Aussies helping with police probe

By David Boey

A SMALL Australian-registered plane caused the 50-minute lockdown of Singapore's airspace to commercial planes on Tuesday evening.

Two Australians, the only people on board the Cessna 208 Caravan float plane - which can land on water - are now assisting in a police probe.

The security alert they caused between 7.10pm and 8pm - which led to two twin-seater F16D fighter jets being scrambled - occurred during Changi Airport's busiest period.

There are about 30 to 40 aircraft movements an hour at the airport from 7pm to midnight each day.

Aviation officials estimated yesterday that the lockdown led to thousands of dollars in fuel being lost as 16 airliners circled Singapore while awaiting permission to land.

For BI 423, an inbound Royal Brunei flight from Bandar Seri Begawan in Brunei, the situation grew serious after it ran low on fuel, and it had to land at Senai airport in Johor.

It flew to Singapore 1-3/4 hours later. Six departing flights were also delayed.

The Straits Times understands that in Tuesday's incident, the single-engine turboprop float plane began its flight from Thailand's Koh Samui island, famed for its fine beaches.

The Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) Air Defence and Operations Command tracked the small plane as it flew towards Singapore, and it was quickly established that the Caravan did not have an approved flight plan - a 'red flag', especially since the Sept 11, 2001, terrorist attacks in the United States.

At 6.42pm, a pair of missile-armed F16D jets, which also have 20mm guns, thundered off from an air base.

They quickly spotted the Caravan with its massive floats - pontoons mounted beneath the fuselage - and signalled it to land at Changi Airport's central runway just before 8pm. Airport police immediately surrounded the plane.

A Straits Times check showed that the plane was bought this month by Ms Mary Cummins, who co-owns a tourist adventure flight company with Mr Rhys Thomas, a former pilot with Australian airline Ansett.

The company is based at Broome Airport in Western Australia. Ms Cummins and Mr Thomas could not be reached.

The plane, which can carry about a dozen people, had previously been flown by an airline in Koh Samui.

The Singapore Police Force said yesterday that 'two foreigners' who were in the plane are assisting with investigations.

The last time the RSAF was reported to have scrambled its jets was in August 2003 - when two Super Skyhawk warplanes intercepted a civilian plane that tried to land at Tengah Air Base.

[email protected]

[Hermie]

I happened to be plane spotting on that day and noticed the airport was extremely quiet during the busiest period. In fact, 4 F-16s were deployed. One on its tail, the other slightly ahead and another 2 circling the airport. They continued to circle the airport for the next 15mins after the Cessna Caravan landed. It landed on 02C and parked at Bay 404.

Apparently, they had no flight plan. It was spotted at the North Eastern part of Singapore. Also, it was heard that they were not contactable initially as the ATCs were trying to ident the aircraft flying.

[starflyer]

I saw the floatplane and twas a beautiful sight surrounded by BIG jets at Changi...haha!:O

[sisiw]

nice story :) kinda funny imagining how it happened..

[Left Wing]

SAF finally get to see "action"..... wonder when will be send up the F-15's :}

[411A]

....a Rhys Thomas, ex Ansett Airlines pilot, had no clue about filing flight plans and that sort of bothersome administrative details when crossing international boundaries?


Many of these ex-Ansett folks had no clue, from a long time ago...:ugh:

[sia sniffer]

Did the SAF scramble its fighters from their bases in Australia, where the SAF keep 90% of its military hardware?

How ironic that they take the p1ss outta the Australians, when they are trained, housed and looked after down under.

having spent many a year flying with the ex-SAF F16 guys (occupying the RHS of an Airbus) I can honestly say what a hopeless lot they were. Im sure they would be hard pushed to recognise a C206 let alone intercept one :E

[Dani]

If you wanted to close down your country's airspace including your biggest international airport just because a useless VFR guy trying to enter it, it would be a little quiet from time to time in other civilized countries as well...

Dani

[Gooneybird]

I remember a bush pilot's first call to Victoria International tower in Canada being: "Victoria tower. This is xxxx short final for 09."

[Hermie]

I would like to think National Security is paramount. Be it a VFR aircraft or whatsoever. You can't leave it to chances, because if you do then the nation will put itself at risk.

[smiling monkey]

It's so typical Singaporean making a big deal out of nothing. :rolleyes:

[Thermal Image]

Did the SAF scramble its fighters from their bases in Australia, where the SAF keep 90% of its military hardware?

No. Even an idiot would know that an F16 does not have the range to reach Singapore from Australia on intercept missions. 90% of SAF assets are in Arstralia? You must really be talking out of your arse.

How ironic that they take the p1ss outta the Australians, when they are trained, housed and looked after down under.

Yeah, I'm sure they saw on their super special radar the rego of the intruder and said to themselves, hmm, now shall we take the p1ss out of that Arstralian aircraft by intercepting it? And do you suppose the Arstralians look after them for free because they are refugees or in return for lots and lots of money?

having spent many a year flying with the ex-SAF F16 guys (occupying the RHS of an Airbus) I can honestly say what a hopeless lot they were. Im sure they would be hard pushed to recognise a C206 let alone intercept one

They may or may not be able to recognise a C208 C-A-R-A-V-A-N. But you sure got it mixed up by calling it a C206. Now, who is it that has bad eyesight here?

[boofta]

Apparently they had a huge shipment of contraband on board, so didn't
flight plan. The aircraft was overgross with chewing gum packets.

[rdr]

These two jokers flying without flight plans remind of the time when so many Ozzies were out of work, courtesy of Sir Peter Ables and his clan. SIA was one of the many airlines which stepped up and gave them jobs. Having never flown out of Roo-land, it was hilarious watching them shell-shocked after a few flights into Europe, " hand on cock, mind in China."

[Slasher]

Rhys Thomas huh? I should duck into Singas and argue he
should get a couple of dozen strokes of the cane on top of a
10 year stint in Changi prison. Hope the event causes his
final downfall. :D

[13265795]

Hope they have extradition back to thailand!
Seems like every rule in the book was broken ex Thailand.
No Flight Plan.
No customs clearance.
No immigration clearance.
No speak on the radio apart from from advising Koh Samui initially of a 1 hr jolly!
This guy deserves all he gets.

NB Consider the surviving members of those kids in South Africa he sent to their deaths.

[seaplane slut]

Interesting. not the photo but the fact it was on a "test flight" but ended up 1000 km away!!

This guy is not what all appears.

Check his AOC - kimberley seaplanes on the CASA website.

Has been operating illegally in australia for a long time!

Float Alighting Gear - NOT permitted
Amphibious operations - NOT Permitted.

Hmmm.

:= very bad boy!

[gengis]

Strikes a chord with a certain C-172 flying from Germany to the red square in Moscow? Or a C-152 (or was it a C-150) flying over the White House?????

[amendedclearance]

I may be a little rusty in geography, but between Koh Samui and Singapore there is a whole chunk of Malaysia.

If they didn't have a flight plan, what was the Malaysian air force doing when the aircraft crossed the Thai-Malaysia border?

[imagination]

PETALING JAYA, Malaysia:

The civilian plane which flew by Kota Baru and caused the shutdown of Singapore's commercial airspace for 50 minutes on Tuesday, was no threat to Malaysia's defence.

Transport Minister Datuk Seri Chan Kong Choy said that was the reason the Department of Civil Aviation (DCA) had allowed the plane from the Thai resort island of Koh Samui to enter Malaysian airspace.

"It was just a small plane and we had confirmed that it was no threat to the country's defence," he said after attending the memorial service of Prof Dr Wolfgang Franke here on Saturday.

He said the DCA immediately informed its Singaporean counterpart after getting information from the Thai DCA that the plane was having some problems and needed to be repaired in the island-nation.

It was reported that Singapore scrambled two F-16 fighters to intercept the aircraft, which was illegally heading towards the city-state's airspace.

The incident caused disruption of flights in and out of Changi after it sparked a major security alert.

[ssangyongs]

Civilian plane was no defence threat
By NG CHENG YEE
PETALING JAYA: The civilian plane which flew by Kota Baru and caused the shutdown of Singapore's commercial airspace for 50 minutes on Tuesday, was no threat to Malaysia's defence.
Transport Minister Datuk Seri Chan Kong Choy said that was the reason the Department of Civil Aviation (DCA) had allowed the plane from the Thai resort island of Koh Samui to enter Malaysian airspace.
"It was just a small plane and we had confirmed that it was no threat to the country's defence," he said after attending the memorial service of Prof Dr Wolfgang Franke here on Saturday.
He said the DCA immediately informed its Singaporean counterpart after getting information from the Thai DCA that the plane was having some problems and needed to be repaired in the island-nation.
It was reported that Singapore scrambled two F-16 fighters to intercept the aircraft, which was illegally heading towards the city-state's airspace.
The incident caused disruption of flights in and out of Changi after it sparked a major security alert.

[SmileAirlines]

Seems like the Malaysian DCA is trying to make excuses to cover their stupidity...

In the first place how can they be sure that the plane is not a thread? Furthermore the plane flew the entire Malaysian peninsula from West to East, transiting many controllers along the way, and overflying couple of military controlled airspaces, and yet no one in Malaysia can be bothered about it...

JA

[spacepodlife]

That's what amazes me... one country over reacts while another doesn't even bother!

[rdr]

Hey spacepod, i'd like to see the kind of reaction in the U S of A , or Sydney if a couple of light a/c were buzzing the downtown areas. The paranoia post 9/11 persists.

[Jakarta Jock]

Hi Guys

I am a first time poster.

Dont forget that in 2002 the local al Qaeda aligned group JI planned to hijack an aircraft and crash it into Changi Airport. Even a light aircraft crashing into the terminal would have a major effect; hence the concern. Imagine what it would do to the Singapore tourist industry and the use of Changi as a major hub.

[13265795]

So the plot thickens re: The 2 Australians held in Singapore.

Prior to Christmas this aircraft was sold out of Cocos (A failed, bankrupt Koh Samui real estate development co) to a Directors wife in Thailand.
She then VERY PROMPTLY sold it to Mary Cummins at mates rates.
It then went VERY PROMPTLY (and over Christmas and New Year when the bureaucrats are on holidays) OFF the Thai register and onto the aussie register.
All by 8th January too! An Aviation record.
The MD of Cocos was arrested leaving Thailand on 15th January on matters related to Coco International.
Thomas (the pilot of this cessna 208 amphibious aircraft) did the runner on the 25th January. Yes out of Thailand and yes intercepted by 4 f16's in Sigapore enroute to Australia.

To all those ripped off by coco's, hope you get the plane back so you can get funds that are rightfully ours - back.

To Mary, Rhys, and your other cronies - you need to be dealt with the full extent of the law.

[roxar]

Seems like the Malaysian DCA is trying to make excuses to cover their stupidity...

In the first place how can they be sure that the plane is not a thread? Furthermore the plane flew the entire Malaysian peninsula from West to East, transiting many controllers along the way, and overflying couple of military controlled airspaces, and yet no one in Malaysia can be bothered about it...

JA


-malaysian dca and air defence dont want to waste their fuel..
because of that small acrft..fuel is getting expensive maa..
any probably that acraft only fly along melaka straits so it not a problem..
as long their not enter the big city..
not like singa..;)

[imagination]

-malaysian dca and air defence dont want to waste their fuel..
because of that small acrft..fuel is getting expensive maa..
any probably that acraft only fly along melaka straits so it not a problem..
as long their not enter the big city..
not like singa..;)


Never work say never work la...
No threat? Datuk Chan asked them isit?

[sia sniffer]

Its amazing that SQ didnt grab them, Bond em, and flog the crap outta them! Lets face it, they managed to navigate to Singapore, which is more than most local pilots can do.

3 IRS, Nah, cannot lah, need GPS lah :E

[gengis]

Are you the f/o whom SQ gave a wide-body type rating and then almost failed your base check?

:ugh::ugh:

[Flyspray]

Africa, Timor,fleeing the scene again. There is quite a bit of history behind this. Trans Pacific ferries using Airline discounts for positioning whilst still employed by an ex Aus major. There is form behind this one. Nothing to do with the C210 lost on a delivery Nah!!

[imagination]

Police widen probe into air intrusion
By David Boey

A POLICE investigation into the airspace intrusion that shut down Changi Airport for close to an hour on Jan 22 has turned to how the pilot of the plane got his aircraft.

The Cessna 208 Caravan Amphibian seaplane, said to be worth US$1.2 million (S$1.7 million), has been impounded.

Singapore police are holding on to the passports of the pilot, Mr Rhys Thomas, said to be in his late 50s to early 60s, and his sole passenger, Mr Darren Johnson, said to be a flight engineer in his 40s and both Australians are still “assisting with investigations”.

The Straits Times understands that the police are looking into three suspicious areas.

First, the flight. The plane did not have permission to leave Thai airspace for its flight from Koh Samui airport that day.

It had been cleared only for 50 minute test flight in the vicinity of the airport.
Instead, the pilots went on a 1,000km, six hour trip - without immigration clearance or filing a flight plan, which is required under international aviation rules.

The history of the plane has also thrown up some questions.

Records showed the plane changed owners twice in a few weeks recently.

Ownership was first transferred last December to a Mrs Mali Sadd.

Barely a month later, it was sold to some Australians – supposedly on the cheap – and was registered as belonging to a Ms Mary Cummins.

Ms Cummins and Mr Thomas run a tour agency called Horizontal Falls Adventure Tours in Broome, a coastal resort town in Western Australia.

They also operate a company called Kimberley Seaplanes, which has two other Cessnas of the type that was piloted by Mr Thomas.

Before these transfers, the plane had been owned by Coco Seaplanes, which was in turn owned by Coco International Properties, a company set up to develop beachfront real estate on Koh Samui.

The company was headed by a Mr Alan Sadd – the husband of Mrs Mali Sadd.

As it turns out, Mr Sadd had been in trouble with the authorities in Bangkok for failing to pay 750 000 baht (S$34,000) to a construction firm. He was arrested on Jan 15 as he attempted to leave Koh Samui for Taiwan.

Finally, Mr Thomas background is also being looked into.

It has emerged that Singapore police have contacted an Australian aviator who once flew for him.

The aviator, who declined to be named, told the Straits Times when contacted that he was arrested in the Seychelles while piloting a plane for Mr Thomas that had false registration.

The airspace intrusion on Jan 22 sparked an air defence response, and the episode ended when two missile-armed Republic of Singapore Air Force F16D jets forced the Cessna to land at Changi Airport’s central runway.

The resulting lockdown of Singapore’s airspace triggered by the intrusion affected 17 inbound flights, which were forced into holding patterns. Six departures were delayed.

The two Aussies were questioned immediately upon landing, and it is understood that Mr Thomas initially claimed that he had problems with the landing gear of his seaplane.

He claimed that was the reason for the diversion to Singapore.

But as the investigations progressed, the new details surrounding the flight aroused the police’s suspicious.

A defence source noted that the current probe has gone on longer than the investigation into the last reported airspace intrusion in August 2003.

The source said that probe was “wrapped up within a day” after the authorities learnt that an electrical fault prevented a Portuguese pilot from talking to air traffic controllers.

[email protected]

[Thermal Image]

Here's the update.

http://www.straitstimes.com/Latest%2BNews/Courts%2Band%2BCrime/STIStory_211362.html

Feb 28, 2008

Aussie pilot charged with unauthorised flight into S'pore

AN AUSTRALIAN who flew into Singapore last month on a Cessna 208 without an approved flight plan was charged in a district court on Thursday (feb28) with flying without a certificate of airworthiness.

Rhys Henry Thomas, 59, is alleged to have piloted the 1998 Australian-registered Caravan amphibious seaplane without the valid certificate issued by the Australian authority at about 7.20pm on Jan 22.

He is believed to have flown in from Koh Samui, Thailand, with a passenger.

Clad in a short-sleeve blue shirt and tie and khaki trousers, Thomas was calm when the charge under the Air Navigation Order was read to him.

If convicted, he faces a fine of up to $5,000 or a year's jail, or both.

His lawyer, Mr Salem Ibrahim, applied for the case to be adjourned to make representations to the Attorney-General's Chambers.

The prosecution sought bail of $15,000 but counsel asked for the bail to be reduced to a third.

Mr Ibrahim said his client had been here for the past five weeks and had his passport with him. He assured the court that there was no flight risk.

But Inspector Leow Teck Wee disagreed. As a foreigner, he said Thomas had no links or ties in Singapore and his attendance must be compelled with an appropriate amount of bail.

District Judge John Ng set bail at $10,000 and impounded his passport.

The case has been fixed for a pre-trial conference on March 13.

[Thermal Image]

http://www.straitstimes.com/Free/Story/STIStory_212007.html

March 1, 2008

Pilot on bail can't leave yet

AN AUSTRALIAN pilot charged with flying a float plane into Singapore airspace without a valid certificate has been denied permission be at the bedside of his ailing mother.

Rhys Henry Thomas was hoping yesterday to travel to a hospital in New South Wales where his mother was warded following a heart attack. But the 59-year-old's application to leave Singapore was dismissed by district judge John Ng.

Thomas was charged on Thursday with flying an Australian-registered float plane to Singapore on Jan 22 without a valid airworthiness certificate. Two Republic of Singapore Air Force fighter jets escorted his Cessna 208 Caravan to Changi Airport, which was closed for 50 minutes amid security fears.

Yesterday, his lawyer, Mr Salem Ibrahim, renewed his application for Thomas to leave the country, handing the court a letter from a doctor treating his client's 83-year-old mother, who has been warded since Feb 20.

Thomas had his passport with him for five weeks, but it was impounded on Thursday when he was released on $10,000 bail.

Deputy public prosecutor Lee Cheow Han objected to the application, and said Thomas' reason for leaving was not compelling enough. He said Thomas, who has no roots here, could contact his family members and mother by phone, video calls, fax or e-mail.

A pre-trial conference originally scheduled for March 13 has been moved up to next Friday.

[chrislikesblue]

Who will pay the cost of all this by the way?What is the common law?
I believe the Australian government should bear the cost,they are the ones issuing licenses to people who fly without flight plan.

[Wornout Rubber]

The 2 pilots face a prison term, fully deserved in my opinion.

The Australian Authorities need to raise their standards with regard to licensing issues. They lag behind the rest of the world in this area. They can keep all their cowboys flying around the Outback, but don`t let them loose on the rest of us.

[Marsh Outlaws]

You have such miscreants anywhere in the world. Dodgy operations and trying to sneak in through loopholes..........they manage to leave the Thai borders and breached Malaysian airspace ( not too good on the Malaysian air defence! ) and had then cossed the narrow ( relatively ) strip of SIN airspace, they would have been free and clear in Indon airspace.

[maui]

Chrislikesblue

So are you suggesting that the licensing authorties also pick up the tab for defence of drunk drivers, red light runners etc, on the basis that they licensed the miscreants?

Maui

[chrislikesblue]

Driving is a different story,every authority in the world takes that risk by issuing licenses.But compared to the risk of issuing a pilot license is minimal,here we are talking about hundred thousands dollars cost of fuel,flight disruptions...etc.
My opinion is that a country that issues pilot licenses so easy to everyone as other countries would give a motorbike 50cc license they should at least pay a penalty to a country that they could cause an incovenience like this.(and raise their training standards or become more cautious who they give licenses to)

[maui]

Chrislikesblue.

If I am to understand you correctly:

1. the reponsibility of the licencing authority is somehow different when applying to the air as opposed to the road.

2. The "hundreds of thousand(s) of dollars, cost of fuel flight disruptions etc" is somehow more important than the cost of the life taken by the drunk redlight runner.

3. The Australian aviation licencing authority (CASA) is handing out substandard licences as easily as the relevant authorities give out 50cc motrcycle licences.

Interesting perspective.

Maui

[seaplane slut]

Well lets not get too side tracked.
What happened in court today?
I see a David Boey press release regarding the engineer who is employed by the pilot, has been released and is back in Oz.
And starting to mutter things as employees do given he is safely out of Singa.
But that does not seem to be court related.
Anyone?

[VH DSJ]

The 2 pilots face a prison term, fully deserved in my opinion.

The Australian Authorities need to raise their standards with regard to licensing issues. They lag behind the rest of the world in this area. They can keep all their cowboys flying around the Outback, but don`t let them loose on the rest of us.

What's this incident got to do with the Australian license standards? Any idiot could have done the same regardless of where they got their license. :rolleyes:

[Thermal Image]

Click on the link below for a picture of the infamous Rhys Thomas!

http://www.straitstimes.com/Latest%2BNews/Courts%2Band%2BCrime/STIStory_220377.html

March 25, 2008
Aussie pilot's bid to leave country rejected again
By Elena Chong
AUSTRALIAN pilot Rhys Henry Thomas has failed again to get the court's nod to leave Singapore to attend to personal matters.

His application for leave jurisdiction was made on Monday and dismissed on Tuesday by District Judge John Ng.

Thomas, 59, was charged late last month with flying a Cessna float plane into Singapore on Jan 22 without a duly issued and valid certificate of airworthiness.

Two Republic of Singapore Air Force fighter jets escorted his plane to Changi Airport, which had to close for 50 minutes amid security fears.

Thomas claimed trial after his representations were turned down by the prosecution.

A nine-day hearing is due to start on March 31.

Out on $10,000 bail, Thomas first applied to leave the country on Feb 28 to visit his 83-year-old mother in a medical centre in Australia. Judge Ng turned down his application.

He applied again on Monday, citing financial loss if he continues to remain here, besides compassionate grounds.

In rejecting the application, Judge Ng said that the parties were ready, and the trial was scheduled in less than a week.

'It would be in the interest of all parties that the case be resolved expeditiously,' he said.

'The accused clearly does not have any roots here. He does not have anything here that can be seen as a compelling reason for him to come back after returning home.'

===============================================

I can almost hear Rhys Henry Thomas saying (when he gets convicted): "Dear judge, if I go to jail I will suffer financial loss". Duh!

[seaplane slut]

Isnt Rhys the Chief pilot of his operation in Oz?

CASA looked after him in his absence and changed his AOC!
(See`previous)

Are there new pilots helping to run his show in OZ?

Would have thought they needed to be checked out by him before they fly!

I heard that a change in Chiefs is on the horizon!

:eek:

[ecureilx]

http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/338417/1/.html

SINGAPORE : The Australian pilot of a Cessna plane has pleaded guilty to entering Singapore's airspace, "without a valid certificate of airworthiness".

59-year-old Rhys Henry Thomas was test flying the plane he bought in Koh Samui, Thailand.


He entered Singapore's airspace on 22 January this year and caused two Air Force fighter jets to intercept his plane, which was eventually escorted to Changi Airport.

The incident delayed flights for about an hour, due to security fears.

In mitigation, Thomas' lawyer said his client decided to fly to Seletar Airport due to landing-gear problems, after taking off from Koh Samui for the test flight.

But the prosecution had argued that the pilot could have landed at other near-by airports.

However, the defence told the court that the pilot believed Singapore has better medical and other infrastructure. He also allegedly wanted to use up some of the five hours worth of fuel in the plane, in case his aircraft had a crash-landing.

The defence also blamed the Australian authorities for allegedly giving conflicting advice to Thomas on whether he required a certificate of airworthiness.

If found guilty, Thomas can be fined up to S$5,000 or face a jail term of a year, or both.

The pilot's lawyer also said that it was a situation of circumstances where the pilot had to make a quick and professional judgement based on many factors.

Sentencing will take place on 1 April. - CNA

[BD1959]

From The Australian (http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,23470360-23349,00.html).

BD

[aseanaero]

Sometimes when people get backed into (or by their own action get into) beuracratic corners they do crazy things , I heard a rumor that this 'run for the border' was an desperate attempt at resolving some expensive 'issues' arising from the sale of the aircraft , hence no flight plan

It's no justification for what happened but things can drag on for years here when both sides dig their heels in