You are viewing the printer-friendly version of this page.
Click here for the standard version.

New Zealand Pilot Accused Of Crash Fraud

February 15, 2006
By Mary Grady,
Newswriter, Editor



A New Zealand pilot was in court this week on fraud charges related to lying about having ditched his Cessna 185 in July 2004, according to the New Zealand Herald. Howard Jamison, 46, had reported that he took off from Timaru Airport and was flying offshore when the airplane's engine surged and stopped. He said he dead-sticked into the water, and was able to remove part of the airplane floor, which he rode into shore as the airplane sank. Jamison submitted an accident report and insurance claim, but the wreckage was never found. The Cessna was reportedly found last month, undamaged, stored in a shipping container. Jamison has said that if found guilty, he may sell his three other aircraft if necessary to repay the insurance of NZ$258,000. A report by the Civil Aviation Authority concluded that since the wreckage had not been found, the cause of engine failure could not be determined.



Copyright Aviation Publishing Group. All rights reserved