The story is reminiscent of the film "Catch Me If You Can" starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Tom Hanks. However, this time the fraudster is a bit older than the character played by DiCaprio. The 49-year-old, Craig Butfoy, forged documents and fabricated his experience to secure a job with British Airways BA CityFlyer and the Irish regional airline Stobart Air.
British Airways pilot forged his documents to get a job in aviation.
The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) reported that the pilot was sentenced to prison for fraud related to his flying experience, which he committed in order to secure a job with British Airways. Craig Butfoy admitted to four counts of fraud and was sentenced to 12 months in prison.
"The CAA’s procedures and the imposed sentence show that such crimes are taken very seriously," said Jonathan Spence, general counsel for the CAA, in an interview with Sky News.
Butfoy had falsified the number of flight hours he logged in a special flight logbook, claiming to have accumulated these hours during his previous job at Hangar 8 Management, which operates Embraer 190 aircraft. He also falsely claimed that he had obtained a commercial pilot's license in 1998. Thanks to the forged information, he secured jobs with BA CityFlyer, a subsidiary of British Airways, and Stobart Air, a regional airline that collapsed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. He worked for both companies for two years, from April 2016 to March 2018.
British airline pilot sentenced for forging documents.
The 49-year-old, who had been flying with fabricated documents, was caught by accident. The Times reported that Butfoy had pressed a button that no qualified pilot would have pressed. This action raised concerns about his experience.
Jonathan Spence further commented:
"The integrity of a pilot is fundamental to aviation safety, and we will take all necessary steps to maintain that position."
In an official statement, British Airways assured that the arrested individual was a fully qualified pilot, and the investigation began once discrepancies in his employment history were discovered. The British airline also emphasized that the safety of its customers and crew remains their top priority.
