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alleged tampering with aircraft, Mt Isa


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Lets wait for more info. It sounds like a criminal pilot, but nothing proved yet.

Are you saying that we shouldn't discuss anything until it's been through the Courts and they've provided a verdict?

 

That's a bit boring isn't it? Might as well just copy/paste the Court Report here and forget the forum altogether ...

 

This doesn't look like your average one-off misdemeanour - after a very protracted investigation this fella's been charged with 342 alleged offences. That's one hell of a lot of smoke if there's no fire!

 

 

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Dick Smith Blasts CASA after it holds back on any commitment to internal review - CASA labelled as 'dysfunctional'.

 

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From The Northern Miner Facebook Page -

 

A FORMER Charters Towers business owner, pilot and Chamber of Commerce and Mines treasurer has been arrested in Mount Isa on 342 charges.

 

 

 

The charges have arisen from Operation Oscar-Deomic and relate to the alleged tampering of aircraft by 31-year-old Josh Hoch.

 

 

 

Police have preferred 342 charges against Hoch, including numerous counts of endangering the safety of a person in a vehicle with intent, dangerous operation of a vehicle, flying aircraft without a licence, fraud offences, and offences in relation to aircraft.

 

The investigation also uncovered evidence relating to the alleged grievous bodily harm of aircraft engineer Denis Beahan at Charters Towers in July of 2014. As a result of this incident, Mr Beahan, aged in his 60s, sustained permanent and life-changing head injuries. Investigators are appealing to anyone who may have further information relating to this incident to come forward.

 

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Those of you who've been around the ultralight scene a while will know of Denis Beahan, he owned quite an extensive network of aviation maintenance facilities (Denis Beahan Aviation Pty Ltd) and used to be the Central Queensland (Roma, Longreach, Mount Isa, Charters Towers) dealer for Drifter aircraft and provided very active support for people using them on the land.

 

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From Air Centre Aviation News Digest -

 

CHARTERS TOWERS AIRCRAFT ENGINEER DENIS BEAHAN ATTACKED IN HANGAR

 

 

 

QLD Police are appealing for information after a 61-year-old male employee of a light aircraft maintenance business was struck on the back of the head during what appears to be an after-hours inspection of the premises on the night of July 3 2014

 

 

 

"Police would like to speak with anyone that may have seen any vehicles or people in the vicinity of Corinda Avenue, Charters Towers or the Charters Towers airport between 6pm to midnight on the 3rd July, 2014."

 

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Reading between the lines, and pure speculation on my part, it might be that Mr Beahan was making an after hours check of the hangar in the hope of catching someone red-handed, tampering ... and perhaps he did.

 

 

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I knew Denis - he painted my aircraft (the green & gold trim, over the existing white) and was always thrilled to see me when I stopped off for fuel at Roma. It was an experimental mix which people said "would never last". but last it did. I worked with Laurie Curley "LPC" at Longreach (LAME) and was the last to see him alive as he departed to Roma to meet Denis to work on a Heron. He crashed short of Roma AP killing himself and passenger. LPC was hit on the head by a propeller and while the injury healed his thought processes were never the same. I had heard Denis met with foul play, but didn't know the circumstances. The brain is a delicate instrument.

 

 

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I brought my aircraft from a property outside of Charters Towers in 2015. The aircraft was past serviced by Denis though I never met him, I was warned by other pilot friends from their that it was a very bad place with an awful history. Outside the hanger where my bird was billited for two nights, sat a 701 on its arse whose engine had been stolen from right their. Some standout and helpfull people their that I met for sure, but at least one grade one arsehole was their somewhere as well.

 

 

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