A chilling reminder
I had the exact issue arise when I was chief pilot long ago.
Briefed the pilot, a nice young bloke, "be off the ground so that you get back a half hour before last light". Being a nice bloke, too nice to convince the pax they had to leave on time, he left late, flew NGT VFR in an aircraft that wasn't, in a designated remote area, to another town, no SAR, no details with his pax on board. He rang me to tell me that he he had decided to stay put. As it was well after last light I rang his girlfriend to tell her he was still "A" and staying overnight, she said, no he had just got to "B". When he returned the next day I told him that I knew what happened. I told him if he had done as he had told me that was forgivable but I couldn't forgive the lie and the infringements. The aerodrome operator at (b) had advised the regulator about the suspicious arrival and they also called me but left matter with me telling me if they weren't happy with the result then they would prosecute.I had to let him go.
I gave him a reference and told him that if anybody asked I would say that he left to do his ATPL subjects.
He left and made his way into a very large airline, semi-retired and started his own Ag business and tragically, keeping his last customer happy, he again flew outside his capability and was killed. He was one of the nicest blokes I had ever met and not long before he was killed we caught up and he thanked me for "pulling his head out of his bum". Sometimes there is no guide on where to draw the line but you have to draw it just the same.
Last edited by flying-spike; 26th Aug 2012 at 21:23.