Prosecuting pilot cost $180,000 plus

External legal costs associated with the prosecution of the Pacific Blue pilot found guilty of careless operation of an aircraft topped $180,000.

The figures were released to the Otago Daily Times through the Official Information Act. Civil Aviation confirmed $183,257.24 was spent on legal counsel for the case that ran over four weeks of trial in court and more than two years between the incident in 2010 and the sentencing last month.

The prosecution of pilot Roderick Gunn, of Auckland, involved 10 CAA staff in various capacities and the costs associated with could not be provided.

The sum does not cover internal staff and legal costs or travel for outside witnesses throughout the court trial in Queenstown.

The CAA official information and privacy officer Jo Beckwith said collating that information would require a substantial amount of work.

On March 26 in the Queenstown District Court, Gunn (55) was sentenced for carelessly operating a Sydney-bound Boeing 737-800 out of Queenstown on June 22, 2010.

He was fined $5100 and ordered to undertake extensive retraining but remains allowed to fly commercial aircraft. He must not operate as pilot-in-command on flights in and out of Queenstown for 12 months.

 

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