Cessna 421 at FALA 3/11

[yambat]

I paxed into Lanseria this evening just before 1800, saw what looked like a Cessna 421(main apron) with security tape on the doors and windows and people standing around, a scruffy looking rug thingy on the ground. I asked ground staff, was told that the scruffy looking rug was a hippo skin and the crew had been arrested, aeroplane impounded. Aeroplane has GIANT on the fin. Anyone with news? what of the crew? Surely any animal skin requires permits. I dony know, any info, anyone?

[eish]

Was in newspapers today. Flight came in after midnight yesterday morning. Cargo - elephant tusks, buffalo head, skins etc. Pilot (23) and 1 pax arrested. Police say they are part of a sindicate.

[nyathi]

HKGK!

This chappy is in serious k@k!

:ugh:

[eagleflier]

Pity the young pilot.
Not trying to justify his actions but guess the oke was just trying to get flight time.
What a pity, hope he hasn't ruined his career

[KRONOS]

It is a Cessna 404, based at Brakpan or that vicinity, if the same pilot he was looking very hard for work some time back, and this was his big break, now ruined by himself or some skelm that convinced him to fly....pity

[126,7]

And so the chancers or should I say smugglers get caught.
I remember that B727 that got bust there about 10 years ago with close to 800 parrots on board. Poor things were in a terrible state.

[zoneout]

Ouch. Anyone know the reg?

[LJP]

ZS-ORP methinks

[nyathi]

Another Aviation forum states that this youg chap is now behind bars in jail and locked up! :eek:

Silly mistake and now his career is screwed! :ugh:

[nyathi]

Just reported, that the pilot is out of jail and "free". A/C still impounded though!

[eagleflier]

Just reported, that the pilot is out of jail and "free".


Is he really free or out on bail?

If its the former, that means no criminal conviction.
Lucky dude

[eagleflier]

Posted by Romeo E.T on avcom.co.za


so far all we have is the news report and we now have the registration and an idea of some of the content carrried therein.

that information is enough to fuel the speculation here, as well as the comments of "rot-in-jail"...however there are probably members here that have more information and aren't sharing it...so where is this thread supposed to go.

many new-ish Comm/IF's are here as well, and I am sure they would like to know how to not become a victim of this type of a flight themselves....so its time to learn from this.

If I was a youngster working at a smallish charter outfit, and I get tasked to to do a flight across the border etc etc, all I can do as a pilot is to do the "pilot-sh%@t" thingy...ie flight plan, clearances, route/fuel etc planning....it not my job to go and swot up on SITE's regulations just in case I will be bringing back some of that stuff...I am the pilot...end of story....I am sure he didn't even know before departure what he would be bringing back, it was a routine charter...there-and-back...but once there and seeing what stuff was being loaded...provided it wasn't concealed in crates and boxes, would be a different matter.

if it was concealed inside crates and boxes, then I as the charter pilot would be not concerned at all, after all the owner of the boxes or the person requesting the charter would have to declare it at customs at FALA on arrival...I am just the pilot that made the transport possible....right or wrong.......maybe the charter licence holder should also take blame for not enquiring into the nature of the charter and the nature of the cargo being brought back.

If I as a charter pilot were made aware either by admission or by my asking what the cargo consignment is, and then with full knowledge still accepted the flight and the inherent risks....hmmm different story......I would defenitely not have landed at FALA all innocent and taxied up to the international ramp knowing what my cargo was.

I personally believe the pilot is not all that guilty possibly because of ommisions in the decleration to him/her of the nature of the cargo and the sensitivity thereof.

so folks lets have a healthy discussion esspecially for the newer Comm/IF's that might be landed in a similar situation so that something can be learnt from this.

lets stop the accusations of "kangaroo court" etc .....it happened and it might happen again if we don't get the facts of how this came to be and how to possibly avoid it in the future.

I for one havn't blamed or crucified the pilot and thus don't feel the need to appologize to him, but I would like to see a healthy discussion so that the pilot can be appologized to if necessary by those that feel he deserves to be crucified.

[eagleflier]

http://www.avcom.co.za/phpBB3/download/file.php?id=70654&t=1

[nyathi]

At the end of the day, you as PIC takes responsibility for you cargo!

[Carrier]

Quote: "When was the last time an SAA skipper was arrested because there was illegal cargo on his 747?"

Twice this year already, along with the rest of the crews:

http://www.pprune.org/airlines-airports-routes/358838-saa-crew-arrests-lhr.html

http://www.pprune.org/jet-blast/362500-south-african-crew-arrested-lhr-again.html

[nyathi]

I rest my case!

[Julia28]

The pilot was bragging some time back that they are flying skins and other stuff, no wonder somebody started investigating
Somebody said in these posts that he gets kak pay. If it is correct what he says himself, then it is not kak, USD 2000 plus lodging is not bad for start-up pilot
The aircraft may be "based" at Brakpan, but was most of the time north of the limpopo doing all kind of flights...

[Contract Dog]

Remember that first job? the rush of getting paid to do what you love? the delay in payment but hey, its ok, they promise to pay next week, it will be ok, you are up in the air! Remember taking controll of your first single crew piston, the sweet smell of avgas and oil, off to a new destination, the promise of a great night stop or a familiar place where you know you will have a good lay over? Remember that boss saying "dont worry my boy, I have taken care of all the small print, just fly the plane because thats what I pay you for"??? We all did it, and some still do by choice, but for those who are cutting their teeth, a little more support is not a tall order to ask.

In a recent chat to the CAA along these lines they made it very clear, opperators who do this to young, single crew, fresh comm guys are going to get the full brunt of the investigation but try do it in a 1900/saab/metro/747 and you as the ATPL PIC should by now know better and you will get the slap on the ear hole, not your dodgy boss. Give the guy a break.

Dog

[zedflyer]

Looking at the pic of this C404, I have seen this plane on the apron in
Lusaka Intl.
I sure hope that the (animal parts :( ) did not come from Zambia, from illegal
hunting!

:mad:

[VarigMD11]

ORP is actually a C401.....

[Julia28]

This aircraft has been on many other aprons too. And after a few beers the pilots talk freely what skins and stuff they carry. Why are they surprised that they are being checked?
Isn't this the operator where the owner gave the pilot a mighty clap? (pilot walked apparently out on him after that)
They seem to be involved in some mining contract and the aircraft spends most of the time outside SA.

[nyathi]

Grizzly Bare

When you fly for SAA or any airline, you fly in a very different "Part" of the ANR's than when you fly Charters, like the young chapy in ZS-ORP.

[126,7]

Varig

It is a C404 registered to

IYADIZA CENTURION (PTY) LTD

[zedflyer]

I'm sorry to say this, but I do hope the authorities throw the book, at the manager & possibly the pilot. I'm sure the pilot could have walked away, &
was not hand-cuffed to the aircraft.

And, still thinking of getting away with, this.

Shame on the crew, & the owners!:=

[nyathi]

From another Forum, words from the Operations Manager! (Brace yourself, this chap is p!ssed off!)

flytodayworktonite wrote:
TO ALL ESTEEMED CONTRIBUTORS TO ............
IT WAS WITH A MIXTURE OF SADNESS AND AMUSEMENT THAT I FOLLOWED ALL YOUR CONTRIBUTIONS REGARDING C404 REG ZS-ORP.
I AM THE OPERATIONS MANAGER FOR THE COMPANY THAT OWNS THE AIRCRAFT. HAVING BEEN FLYING FOR 20 YEARS, AND THIS AIRCRAFT IN PARTICULAR SINCE 2002, MAYBE MY CONTRIBUTION WILL FINALLY REDUCE OR ELIMINATE THE INCREDIBLE AMOUNT OF BOVINE EXCREMENT THAT YOU GUYS HAVE BEEN SO DILIGENTLY PRODUCING. THE FACT THAT YOU HAVE THE TIME TO DO SO PROVES THAT YOU HAVEN’T YET MANAGED TO SECURE A REAL JOB.
IN POINT FORM, SO THAT YOU ANAL RETENTIVES CAN FOLLOW, HERE ARE THE FACTS:
1.) THE OWNER (WHO INCIDENTALLY DOESN’T DRINK BRANDY) AND MYSELF HAVE BEEN FLYING THE SAID MACHINE INTO AND AROUND AFRICA WITHOUT INCIDENT OR ANY SUCH LIKE, FOR ALMOST 8 YEARS. QUITE AMAZING HEY BECKERS.
2.) AT THE BEGINNING OF THE YEAR WE EMPLOYED A YOUNG PILOT (WHO APPROCHED US FOR A JOB). OWING TO HIS LACK OF EXPERIENCE WE EMPLOYED A SECOND YOUNG PILOT. BOTH TO FLY THE ONE CREW AIRCRAFT TOGETHER. TWO HEADS BEING BETTER THAN ONE, WHEN IT COMES TO DARKEST AFRICA.
3.) THE OWNER WENT BIG GAME HUNTING (YES, HE HIMSELF) IN ZAMBIA AND ON HIS RETURN, WITH A SCHEDULED FLIGHT, SENT THE AIRCRAFT TO COLLECT THE TROPHIES. (BUFFALO, HIPPO AND SOME PLAINS ANTELOPE). THERE WAS NO IVORY, TUSKS, RHINO HORN, RHINO SKIN OR THE LIKE. THERE ARE BONA FIDE PERMITS FOR ALL THE ANIMALS, WHICH HAVE BEEN SUBMITTED TO CUSTOMS AND WILDLIFE.
4.) WHAT PROMPTED THE DEBACLE WAS THE P.I.C FORGOT TO SUBMIT THE PREPARED GEN DECS WHICH THEY NORMALLY DO. THIS WAS DONE WITHOUT THE KNOWLEDGE OF MANAGEMENT. THE REASON SUPPLIED BY THE PILOT WAS THAT THERE WAS NO CARGO AND NO PAX TO DECLARE AND HE SIMPLY FORGOT IN THE RUSH AFTER RE-FUELLING. THEY WERE ALSO RUNNING LATE. IF I DIDN’T BELIEVE HIM, HE WOULD HAVE BEEN FIRED, BUT IT SEEMS HE MADE A GENUINE MISTAKE, WHICH HAS NOW COST US UPWARDS OF R300 000.00
5.) THIS IS WHY THE AUTHORITIES WERE WAITING FOR THE AIRCRAFT TO RETURN. THEY THOUGHT THEY HAD UNCOVERED A SMUGGLING SYNDICATE, WHEN THEY MISTAKENLY IDENTIFIED THE HIPPO TEETH AS ELEPHANT TUSKS.
6.) CUSTOMS AND POLICE INTIMIDATED THE TWO LADS AND LOCKED THEM UP SUMMARILY, ONLY TO HAVE EGG ON THEIR FACES WHEN PROSECUTORS AND WILDLIFE DISMISSED THE CASE.
7.) TO SAVE FACE, SARS CONTINUED TO HOLD THE AIRCRAFT AND HAVE NOW BROUGHT NEW CHARGES FOR THE SMALL COMPRESSOR AND AERO OIL THAT WERE ON THE PLANE AND NOT DECLARED. EVEN BRAIN SURGEONS LIKE YOURSELVES CAN SEE THAT IS NOT A SMUGGLING SYNDICATE.
8.) BRUISED EGOS AT SARS IS OUR ONLY HURDLE NOW. THEY ARE DELIBERATELY DRAGGING THEIR HEALS. SANITY WIL EVENTUALLY PREVAIL
9.) APOLOGIES FROM YOU ALL ARE NOW IN ORDER….. GO MAD!!!!!

[dash431]

Agree whole-heartedly with Grizzly Bear! Pilot signs off on the manifest, and not a visual inspection of cargo.