Airspace Infringement Penalties

[Ray Ban]

I always go through my copy of GASIL and often read about airspace infringements, whether TMA or Class D or whatever. What do the CAA usually do for serious cases, such as busting a TMA boundary by 1000ft or infringing a zone by a few miles?

I find it quite chilling when I read 'appropriate action has been taken by the CAA' or words to that effect. A euphemism if I ever heard one! :uhoh:

[benedictus]

If you're a habitual offender, they may pull your licence since you are obviously an incompetent pilot. Other than that they would ask for an explanation of why it happened and something along the lines of learn from your mistakes don't do it again type letter.

If it was a really bad infringement (I had a microlight at 7000ft conflicting with all my outbounds - who insisted he was outside CAS) I took what we call 939 action which involves the legal department, needless to say after all the relevant enquiries he was most apologetic, begged nicely and kept his licence.

[Widger]

I understand a recent culprit in the area of E Anglia may have ended up in a Magistrates court. He may have even been fined and given a suspended sentence!

Just what I have heard of course!;) ;)

[rej]

A couple of years ago at a secret airbase in Wiltshire, I filed against a zone violator who made a series of major co<k up$. He ended up in a local magistrates court and got a hefty fine and associated costs.

To be honest, it's not really about the legal outcome (unless some other aspects of the flight were, for example, reckless) it is more about education. It is far better to have an ATC/pilot debrief over the phone or, even better, in person than for some magistrate to deliver a fine to someone who, if they can afford to fly, will not miss a few quid.

Now, talking about zone violations, don't get me going on the subject of a major GA gathering, a few years ago, at an airfield to the north of the same secret airbase's Class D that resulted in over 20 zone violations in one day!!!!!!! I'll save that one for a whole chapter in my memoires.

[ATCO Two]

Although in the past fines of £1500 plus hefty costs were not uncommon for serious infringements of the London Control Zone, the CAA are now taking a more enlightended approach to this issue. Penalties nowadays are more likely to involve a requirement for specified retraining before a pilot is allowed to fly in the vicinity of the airspace infringed. This of course also involves a financial penalty for the cost of the extra training, but it far more likely to have positive safety benefits for both airspace users and ATS providers.

[throw a dyce]

What are the CAA doing about the military.Here we have had hundreds of CAS infringements over the years and very seldom any feedback.The Mil seem to take it not that seriously,perhaps a call might get them off.It doesn't get home that they blasting through ClassD could have them colliding with some serious chunck of metal with 200 people on board.
They still tank just underneath CAS,then low level abort,No call,no 7700,nothing.Then call up on the wrong freq after they are above the a/c you're vectoring.What the odds for a zone infringement around PD in the next month? Sporting Odds,Ladbrokes. Chance of a hit? :mad: