A captain who caused a fatal lighting plane to fall on an island in the Great Barrier Reef of Australia was spared a jail sentence.
When the plane struck the sand on Middle Island in January 2017, American tourist Jocelyn Spurway, 29, was killed and Irish woman HannahO’Dowd, 21, suffered serious injuries.
Following a brief trial focused on Leslie Woodall’s activities after the plane’s engine immediately failed, a jury found him guilty of extremely operating a vehicle that caused death and grievous bodily harm.
Woodall was given a two-year word, absolutely suspended- which means the 64-year-old will be free as long as he complies with certain situations.
One of the three travellers inside the plane filmed the three-day test in the Brisbane District Court, which showed the images that the engine had stopped and Woodall had abruptly turned the aircraft to the left.
The Cessna 172N then swiftly lost level, before a aircraft hit the sand and it rolled.
Ms. Spurway suffered lethal spinal injuries, and her friend Ms.O’Dowd suffered traumatic brain injuries and a number of fractures. Woodall even sustained severe injuries, and a 13-year-old son who was on board suffered a broken knee.
The accident was alleged to be caused by a Woodall’s answer rather than by an engine failure, according to the prosecution.
Aviation professionals who testified during the test concurred that Woodall, an experienced pilot, violated best training and flight training. He may have kept his wings levels for safety when he glided and made the landing, they claimed.
But, Woodall’s defense team claimed that in a very difficult position, he had few different choices available to him.
According to reports from the American Broadcasting Corporation, he claimed in a policeman interview that he was trying to reach a sandbank.
The captain said,” I chose to avoid landing in the ocean because it was heavy and I was concerned about the danger of drowning and the risk of bull predators.”
” I firmly believe that I took every precaution I had to ensure the health of those on board.”