Former baggage handler accused of hoax calls disputes flights were endangered
A MAN accused of forcing a passenger jet to abandon its landing at Melbourne Airport is disputing whether his hoax radio calls put anyone in danger.
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A MAN accused of forcing a passenger jet to abandon its landing at Melbourne Airport is disputing whether his hoax radio calls put anyone in danger.
Rockbank man Paul Sant, 20, allegedly made 16 unauthorised radio transmissions picked up by pilots and the airport’s control tower between September 5 and November 3 last year.
The former Virgin baggage handler is charged with four counts of endangering the safety of aircraft and one of interference likely to endanger safety or cause loss or damage.
But Mr Sant’s lawyer, Pern Chaya, told the Melbourne Magistrates’ Court today it was unclear whether the aircraft were endangered by her client’s actions.
She told magistrate Charlie Rozencwajg one of the pilots involved had merely said the flight would’ve been placed in peril had the circumstances been different.
“There’s always potential,” the pilot allegedly said.
Ms Chaya said that in one transmission a pilot told to abort takeoff ignored the instruction because he was actually landing.
She said she was seeking further details about each incident and safety reports filed by the pilots.
“The risk assessment is unclear, in my submission,” Ms Chaya said.
The court previously heard Sant was captured on phone intercepts bragging to a friend that he watched a Virgin flight abandon its landing after he told it to perform a “go around”.
The pilot was the only one that actually complied with his alleged transmissions on the emergency channel.
Federal police have said his actions had the potential to cause a major aviation incident that risked lives.
Mr Sant has been previously bailed and will return to court on March 16.