Mon, Nov 15, 2004
Despite Criminal Convictions, Grant Craigie Claimed He Was
Unfairly Fired
An embattled Air New Zealand pilot
won't be flying for the company any time soon, after a government
official refused to temporarily reinstate him. Capt. Grant Craigie
is accused of assault and flying an amphibian without proper
documentation, according to the Employment Relations Authority.
In refusing to reinstate Craigie until his hearing next year,
the authority said safety was "a paramount consideration,"
according to documents obtained by the New Zealand Herald.
Administrator Alastair Dumbleton said allegations surrounding
Craigie's use of a flying boat without the proper documentation
"struck at the heart of his employment relationship with Air
NZ."
Dumbleton quoted the letter Air New Zealand sent Craigie when it
fired him last September. The letter cited, in part:
- Your actions in April 2001 involving the operation of a
home-built aircraft resulting in your conviction in December
2002.
- Your actions in June 1996 involving an incident ... which
resulted in five police charges being made against you. Male
assaults male, male assaults female, possession of a disabling
substance and two counts of wilful damage to property.
- Your actions on 27 December 2001 ... resulting in your
conviction and sentencing for that assault in December 2002.
Although both assaults supposedly occurred outside the
workplace, Craigie was wearing his uniform during one of them.
Craigie, a 737 captain and a 747 first officer, will go before
an Employment Relations Authority hearing next year.
More News
From 2023 (YouTube Version): Legacy of a Titan Robert (Bob) Anderson Hoover was a fighter pilot, test pilot, flight instructor, and air show superstar. More so, Bob Hoover was an i>[...]
Get The Latest in Aviation News NOW on Instagram Are you on Instagram yet? It's been around for a few years, quietly picking up traction mostly thanks to everybody's new obsession >[...]
Aero Linx: B-52H Stratofortress The B-52H Stratofortress is a long-range, heavy bomber that can perform a variety of missions. The bomber is capable of flying at high subsonic spee>[...]
Altimeter Setting The barometric pressure reading used to adjust a pressure altimeter for variations in existing atmospheric pressure or to the standard altimeter setting (29.92).>[...]
"Knowing that we play an active part in bettering people's lives is extremely rewarding. My team and I are very thankful for the opportunity to be here and to help in any way we ca>[...]