PFA Inspectors beware

The CAA lost another court case in Northern Ireland on October 15th involving a pilot / owner of a home built Kitfox and a PFA inspector. I need not enter into very much detail about the case other than to say that the owner pleaded guilty to what the Crown Court Judge said was a minor offence of failing to make a proper entry in the airframe logbook. The PFA inspector and the owner were charged with “Endangering an aircraft and persons therein” the judge directed the jury to bring not guilty verdicts to this charge in both cases, as the CAA had not proved their case. No defence was necessary and the PFA inspector was told by the judge that he left the court without a stain on his character. The pilot /owner was given a conditional discharge on the “minor charge”.

When the CAA brought forth the above charges, the PFA suspended the inspector. The inspector contacted the PFA insurers to seek help with legal costs. The insurance company refused to cover the legal costs as the charges were “criminal” and not civil. This could mean that if someone were to be killed in a PFA aircraft accident and the inspector was found negligent a charge of manslaughter could be brought which would be criminal. ARE YOU AWARE THAT PFA INSPECTORS ARE NOT COVERED BY PFA INSURANCE AGAINST LEGAL ACTION IF THE CASE IS OF A CRIMINAL NATURE.

The PFA representatives were shoulder to shoulder with the CAA and assisted the CAA to prosecute the above case even though it was revelled in court that the PFA chief inspector and the chief engineer stated to the CAA that the aircraft in question was safe to fly. This case cost in the region of £450,000 and ran for eight days before being stopped by the judge due to lack of evidence. I have two questions; Who is going to hold the CAA to account for wasting public money? and Who would want to continue to be a PFA inspector?