Airline Is Now Pressing Charges Seeking Its Money Back

A South African Airways pilot is facing fraud charges brought by the airline after it was discovered he had flown for the carrier for more than 20 years on falsified credentials.

Fox News reports that the airline has filed criminal charges against William Chandler, who became a pilot for SAA in 1994. While he possessed a commercial pilot's license, he did not hold an ATPL (Air Transport Pilot License) certificate required by South Africa's civil aviation authority to act as pilot in command on long-haul international flights ... which he reportedly did.

The airline filed the charges in an effort to force Chandler to repay what they say are millions in rand, the South African currency, which they had paid him in salary over the years. One rand is equivalent to about seven cents U.S.

According to the BBC, Chandler's deception was discovered after the flight he was operating from South Africa to Germany encountered turbulence over the Alps and he allegedly made some "strange turns." An investigation following the incident uncovered the fact that his commercial pilot's licence was not valid for such flights. Chandler immediately resigned from the airline, according to the BBC.

The South African CAA said that Chandler had changed his documents to make it appear that he had obtained the ATPL.

The airline is seeking money "unduly paid' to Chandler during his time of employment. “SAA has suffered actual financial prejudice and has opened a criminal case of fraud against that pilot,” a spokesman for the carrier said in a statement obtained by Bloomberg. “Necessary steps will be taken to recover the money unduly paid to him.”

FMI: Source report