Melbourne flight’s shocking close miss after hoax instructions
A Melbourne-bound Virgin flight had a dangerously close shave with a Jetstar plane at Tullamarine airport after its pilots fell victim to a former baggage handler-turned-hoaxster.
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A former baggage handler who bragged about making fake mayday calls over an airline radio transmitter and instructing planes to fly dangerously close to each other has been spared prison.
Paul Sant, 22, pleaded guilty to making a series of hoax calls in October 2016 during which he ordered several passenger planes to abort landing just moments before touchdown at Melbourne’s Tullamarine airport.
In one call, a Virgin flight carrying more than 100 passengers and crew from the Gold Coast was told by Sant to “go around” the airport, causing it to fly scarily close to a Jetstar plane waiting on the tarmac.
Judge Felicity Hampel said the offending had seriously endangered the lives of the people on board.
“(It had) the potential to create a fatal situation at a crucial point,” Judge Hampel said.
Hours later, Sant intercepted transmissions at Avalon airport and made two mayday calls to an air traffic controller, who soon realised it was a hoax.
The County Court this morning heard the then-19-year-old had lost his job as a baggage handler at Virgin shortly before the offending and continued to wear his uniform and pretend to go to work out of “shame”.
He came undone when he bragged to mates about his stupid crimes — with one friend reporting him to the Australian Federal Police, who raided his home shortly after.
During phone calls intercepted by police, Sant told friends he had thrown the radio transmitter in the Caroline Springs lake.
Investigators drained the lake in a bid to recover the device but it was never found.
“You may have been young, you may have thought it was funny or silly,” Judge Hampel said.
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“But the (potential) for real harm is very real,” her honour said.
Sant was sentenced to two years jail for endangering the safety of an aircraft, but the prison term was suspended and he was released immediately.
The young apprentice had spent just 32 days in custody since his arrest and bail in November 2016.
He must also complete a two-year community corrections order for one charge each of transmitting false information and interfering with safe conduct of an aircraft.
The court heard Sant suffers from autism and had been subject to a “neglectful” and loveless upbringing.
Since being granted bail, he has completed two years of an apprenticeship and has shown remorse for his offending, Judge Hampel said.