An SAS Connect pilot has been fined about $5,800 in the first prosecution of a 2016 law that requires pilots to keep in radio contact with ATC. Capt. Christopher Hollands didn’t check in for more than 30 minutes as he commanded an A320 with 58 passengers aboard from Oslo to Manchester. It resulted in a hijacking scare that led to two RAF Typhoons being scrambled to escort the airliner to Manchester. After landing it was ordered to an isolated area of the airport so law enforcement could investigate.
Hollands’ gaffe violated a section of the Air Navigation Order of 2016, and the U.K. Civil Aviation Authority says it takes the law, and violations of it, seriously. “Aviation is one of the safest methods of transportation, and it relies on pilots maintaining radio communication with air traffic control through the standard channels during flight,” CAA’s head of flight operations said in a statement. “We continue to work with pilots, airlines, and the Government to reduce similar incidents, including by prosecuting offenders when appropriate to maintain confidence in UK aviation’s safety and security.” He also noted that Hollands could have gone to jail for two years.
