Originally Posted by
AEROMEDIC
I knew Peter very well. He and I worked together throughout Malaysia, Indonesia, PNG and Tasmania.
It came as a shock hearing of the accident as I knew him to be a good operator.
The owner of this company was entirely different. When a Hughes 500 crashed during ops in which the pilot was killed, he told the pilot's wife that the insurance she thought her husband had, was for the aircraft, not the pilot and offered her a pittance. When the pilot joined the company, the chief pilot told him that the company provided insurance for him. No point in paying TWO policies, he thought, so he dropped his own.
She tried taking him to court and the media but it didn't work out.
My time in PNG was short fortunately, as my principles had me return to working in OZ.
Peter stayed on and was planning to retire to Queensland when he died.
Not sure if this company ever had 500's .Peter crashed in a 105 and the insurance story i've heard is similar. His wife never got his insurance even if it was implied at the time of hire that pilots are insured trough the company. Don't put your families trough this,people. Stay away .