No Papers, So India Gives Whyalla Airlines Pair A Hard Landing
Sydney Morning Herald
Thursday February 22, 2001
The managing director of the now defunct Whyalla Airlines, Mr Chris Brougham, and his brother Kym have been detained in India after violating Indian airspace.
A six-seater Cessna aircraft piloted by the two men has been impounded since Sunday, when it landed for refuelling at Patna airport, in the eastern State of Bihar.
A spokesman for the Australian High Commission in New Delhi said the two men had failed to obtain the necessary clearances to land at Jaya Prakash Narayan International Airport.
The Australian operations of Whyalla Airlines were suspended by the Civil Aviation Safety Authority on June 11 last year after an inquiry found they placed a high workload on pilots and may not have maintained accurate flight records.
Inquiries are continuing into the deaths of eight people on board a Whyalla Airlines plane which plunged into Spencer Gulf in South Australia after multiple engine failure on May 31 last year.
The latest incident occurred as the two men were flying to London to take part in next month's London-Sydney Centenary of Federation air race. They were en route to Karachi when they were detained.
Kym Brougham, 45, the airline's former chief pilot, was recently quoted as saying: ``We'll waste the last cent we've got on the race."
He and his 46-year-old brother raised about $100,000, mostly from the wind-up of their airline.
``The company's finished but we'll go out in style," Kym said.
Australian officials had already been liaising with India to smooth the passage of the Centenary air race, which is scheduled to cross India on March 23-24 en route from London to Sydney.
``We are co-ordinating the London-Sydney leg, but it was the responsibility of individuals themselves to get to London," an Australian official said. ``This is an unwelcome hiccup."
The Cessna has been sealed by police, and remains on the runway at Patna three days after being impounded.
The brothers are staying at a hotel in Patna while Australian officials negotiate with Indian authorities to secure their release.
``The Australians are pretty comfortable and are in touch with their families," an Australian official said. ``They are keen to get out, and we'd like them to get out too."
Nothing could be done to advance the matter on Wednesday, which was an Indian government holiday.
Airspace violations are a sensitive issue in India. On Tuesday, New Delhi lodged a strong protest with Pakistan, claiming a Pakistani reconnaissance plane violated Indian airspace in Kashmir.
Air safety record defended Page 10
© 2001 Sydney Morning Herald
