An Air Canada captain is reported to have flown hundreds of flights while missing a mandatory legal qualification. Regional police in Canada launched a complex fraud investigation named Project Icarus after discovering the licensing breach. The former captain allegedly operated large commercial aircraft without having the required airline transport pilot license. The certification involves passing a series of written exams mandated by federal law.
Air Canada confirmed the occurrence and said the individual was removed from duty once the oversight was discovered. The airline maintains that safety was not at risk because the pilot passed competency checks every six months.
The former Air Canada captain was arrested and faces seven criminal fraud counts after flying over 900 flights without the mandatory Airline Transport Pilot License (ATPL). The discrepancy was discovered during an internal certification review, the pilot was fired and later fined by Transport Canada. The pilot held a valid commercial license and had operated flights during an extended period (since 2009) before the anomaly was uncovered.
Geoffrey Wall, 59, of Barrie, Ont., was arrested on June 1, following a complex fraud investigation dubbed “Project Icarus,” Dep. Chief Nick Milinovich announced at a news conference Tuesday, June 9. He has been charged with fraud over $5,000, public mischief, two counts of uttering forged documents and three counts of possession of counterfeit mark, local police said in a press release.