I have had a PM attempting to name the suspect in my current story. I would appreciate it if no such attempt was made. I will merely refer to him as the suspect because to the best of my recollection he was never charged much less convicted of any offence. I am recounting the events to set the record straight and to right a wrong that effectively defamed the G/E branch.
I think it first came to light on a para sortie. Normally such a task had a PJI and a loadmaster as despatchers an a loadmaster on intercom as the front/back link.
After a drop and the two despatchers were tidying up the a/c the suspect who was the loadmaster went forward to the galley to get water for the despatchers. All para could be hot and sweaty work especially in FEAF.
The loadmaster despatcher happened to look up and believed he saw the suspect put his hand through the flight deck steps and briefly fiddle with the controls that run under there. On the way back to base he confronted him and the reply was to the effect that he had slipped and was grabbing at the first thing that came to hand. Not convinced, after landing he conferred with the captain who reported the incident up the squadron chain.
This resulted in the suspect being grounded and his log book impounded for checking.
The results were not quite clear cut. In respect of the Utility Hydraulic sight glass breakages only trips where he was the loadmaster had so suffered.
However although the majority of cases concerning the throttles and flying controls did have him as the loadmaster there were others that did not. The Lockheed rep confirmed that rigging problems could indeed cause such symptoms. As for the ramp locks well the problems with those were well documented although better rigging instructions had reduced the incidents considerably. I had one climbing out of Changi. I had cargo on the ramp and was accused of having an asymmetric load on the ramp. I did but pointed out that it was well within the limits laid down in AP 101B-0701-11D. I heard no more about it.
However his log book contained entries that did not match the auth sheets.
In other words he was recording trips that others, not he had done.
It was on these grounds that his suspension from flying was justified and he worked in the squadron ops whilst we went short handed in the loadmaster section.
TBC