[Peetwo]

An interesting article here..

Chief Pilot of Hoch Air Josh Hoch is starting flights to Lake Eyre.


Police claim Mount Isa pilot put contaminant in fuel tanks

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More here Wannabe, via the NQ Register... :

Charter operator to appear before Mount Isa Magistrates Court


Chris Burns@fatburns10

25 Jan 2017, 1:30 p.m.

The complaint triggered investigation Oscar-Demotic which was completed on Tuesday when police arrested a 31-year-old charter operator. 

The operator based at Mount Isa Airport has been charged with 342 offences from 14 sections of Queensland and Commonwealth legislation. 

These charges include tampering with airplanes, unlicensed flying, and dangerous operation of a vehicle.

Detective Inspector Hodgman said these offences had nothing to do with commercial airlines. 

Police would not identify the man who is scheduled to appear in the Mount Isa Magistrates Court at 2pm, Wednesday, or even to confirm the name of the accused is Josh Hoch, published elsewhere. 

Police are opposing bail due to the “serious nature of offences”. 

“As soon as we found out about the offence we put methodologies in place to make sure the safety of the public was not compromised,” Detective Inspector Hodgman said. 

The story The operation against a 31-year-old charter operator  | Video first appeared on The North West Star.

 

Update: Via Brissie Times...

January 25 2017 - 6:32PM

Queensland pilot Josh Hoch granted bail once he supplies surety

Chris Burns

The Mount Isa charter pilot alleged to have put glass beads in his rivals' planes is to be granted bail from the Mount Isa Magistrates Court. 

However, Josh Hoch will likely be in the Mount Isa Police Station watch house on Australia Day. Part of his conditions set by Magistrate Stephen Guttridge is that Mr Hoch supply $50,000 surety before release. 
  
Josh Hoch's solicitor Michael Spearman leaves the Mount Isa Police Station watch house on Wednesday afternoon. Photo: Chris Burns

The Mount Isa Court House had not received the surety or approved the paperwork by its closing time of 4.30pm, Wednesday. The court opens again at 8.30am on Friday. Thursday is the Australia Day public holiday.  

Mr Hoch is to appear again before the Mount Isa Magistrates Court on February 22. He is charged with 342 offences. 

Police prosecutor Sergeant Vaughan Cooper opposed bail and said five of the charges had a maximum penalty of life imprisonment, Mt Isa's North West Star reported today.
 
"He is at risk of flight, quite literally," Sergeant Cooper said. 

"His capacity not just to leave Queensland, but Australia." 

Sergeant Cooper said one of the charges related to a Piper Chieftain plane that lost power flying from the Northern Territory to Mount Isa. There were three people on board.

Sergeant Cooper alleged that an inspection of the plane revealed glass beads in the oil filter. 

Sergeant Cooper alleged also that oil had been removed from a Cessna plane kept at the Mount Isa Airport. This was discovered during a daily inspection on August 18, 2016. 

On September, 2016, a Piper Chieftain about to fly from Mount Isa to Burketown experienced loss of oil pressure, the court heard. The flight was aborted. An oil sample allegedly showed glass beads, metals and dirt mixed in with it, Sergeant Cooper said.
 
On October 6 to 7 a Cessna belonging to the Northern Territory Air Services, travelling between Alice Springs and Mount Isa, experienced low pressure. Glass beads were allegedly found in the engines, Sergeant Cooper said. 

On October 18 a pilot on another plane noticed a drop in pressure. The plane arrived in Mount Isa safely. It is alleged that an inspection found paste in the oil system. 

Sergeant Cooper said other offences included fraud. Mr Hoch is alleged to have supplied two fraudulent insurance claims. 

Mr Hoch did not have proper accreditation of an aircraft, the prosecutor alleges. 

The court heard that Mr Hoch has flown Federal Member for Kennedy Bob Katter and Katters Australian Party State MPs Rob Katter and Shane Knuth through his charter service. The Federal MP has paid $275,000 in total to Mr Hoch for his charter services. 

The prosecutor alleges further that the defendant has flown an aircraft to hide it from police. 

Mr Hoch's solicitor Michael Spearman, Resolute Legal's principal lawyer,  said the charges were "quite circumstantial" and said many of the charges "doubled-up". 

Mr Spearman said that Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) has known of Mr Hoch's flights since 2013. They could have grounded him immediately if they had concerns with the pilot and audited the company, he said. 

"Despite knowing of the allegations for months they could have grounded him." 
Mr Hoch has already suffered a "trial by jury" and it has affected his business. He also has two young children and a long-term partner. 

"There are significant stresses in the family right at this point," Mr Spearman said. 
Other bail conditions is that Mr Hoch not apply for a passport. If he has one he must surrender it. 

Mr Hoch cannot pilot a plane or enter an airport. He must also report to the Mount Isa Police Station on specific days twice a week. He also must not contact witnesses. 
For more Mt Isa news see the North West Star. 

 

MTF...P2