Private pilot David Harbottle has been convicted of three charges as of July 6, 2021, resulting in a £175,000 fine for false entries to his pilot’s license and a misrepresentation of his pilot status.
According to a statement released by the UK Civil Aviation Authority, two charges pertain to deliberately recording falsified entries on his pilot’s license and one charge is for misrepresenting his pilot status absent of a valid pilot’s license on a total of seven flights.
“The Civil Aviation Authority’s prosecution, the subsequent convictions and substantial fines show that the CAA and the Courts treat offending of this kind with the upmost severity,” commented a spokesperson for the UK Civil Aviation Authority.
Harbottle, who is from Lancing, West Sussex, United Kingdom, was fined £100,000 for the two false license entries, as well as an additional £75,000 for carrying out pilot duties with an improper license, following a trial at Brighton Magistrates Court. Additional costs include payment of £16,500 to the Civil Aviation Authority and a victim charge payment of £120.
The total amount to pay, including fines and charges, amounts to £191,620.