A man has been sentenced to a year in prison for lying about his work experience before spending two years working as a commercial pilot in the UK.
Craig Butfoy, 49, entered false information and fabricated his experience into his logbook so he could appear more qualified to work for BA CityFlyer, a British Airways regional airline, and former Irish regional airline Stobart Air.
He pleaded guilty to multiple fraud charges on Monday and was sentenced to prison at Snaresbrook Crown Court in east London, according to the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA).
According to The Times of London, Butfoy was employed by each airline for a year from 2016 to 2018. During that time, BA CityFlyer officials reportedly became suspicious of his experience after an incident occurred in Switzerland when he pressed a button that “no qualified pilot would do,” a source told the news outlet.
He was later investigated by the CAA when it was found that he had misrepresented his resume and fabricated the details of his flying experience in order to “obtain and retain employment,” the agency said. These forgeries included false claims that he had flown 1,610 hours as a captain and received a certificate of training. He also falsely stated that he had held a private pilot’s license since 1998, according to the Times.
Butfoy is said to have falsified his flying lessons while working for a previous employer, Hangar 8 Management, according to the Times. The company also operates the same Embraer 190 jets as BA CityFlyer, the news outlet noted.
However, a British Airways spokesman claimed that Butfoy was still fully qualified and certified to operate as a pilot and that the case was linked to false information he made in references during the application process. The airline said no passengers were harmed.
“The safety of our customers and crew is always our priority and the fully qualified pilot was suspended and an investigation launched as soon as BA CityFlyer became aware of discrepancies in its employment record,” an airline representative told Newsweek in a statement Saturday morning. “At no time was there a risk for customers or colleagues.”
A man has been sentenced to a year in prison for falsifying his work experience before getting a job as a pilot with a British Airways regional airline. Above: A British Airways plane takes off from London City Airport in London August 6, 2015. Peter Macdiarmid//Getty Images
Jonathan Spence, general counsel at the CAA, said earlier this week that Butfoy’s indictment and verdict show that “offences of this nature are taken very seriously by the Civil Aviation Authority and the courts,” adding that “the integrity of the Pilots at the heart of aviation is safety and we will take whatever steps are necessary to maintain that position.”
BA CityFlyer is a regional operator flying aircraft from London City Airport to national and European destinations. Stobart Air is no longer in operation but was previously owned by Aer Lingus.