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Mt Isa Man Charged With Tampering With Planes, Causing Forced Landings

These actions allegedly caused the forced landings of two aircraft.
If you crash around the remote city of Mt Isa, you're a long way from help.
The Sydney Morning Herald via Getty Images
If you crash around the remote city of Mt Isa, you're a long way from help.

A man has been charged with 342 offences relating to tampered aircrafts at the regional city of Mt Isa, allegedly endangering lives and causing two forced landings.

The 31-year old man has been charged with numerous counts of endangering the safety of a person in a vehicle with intent, dangerous operation of a vehicle, flying an aircraft without a licence and fraud offences.

The police statement said two private air charter companies discovered their aircrafts were seriously damaged.

"The aircraft had allegedly been damaged through the application of abrasive material directly into engines, resulting in catastrophic engine failure and the forced landings of two aircraft," the statement said.

"Further engine failures that were detected prior to take-off occurred on another two aeroplanes."

Mt Isa Airport has a range of private charters operating from it.
Fairfax Media
Mt Isa Airport has a range of private charters operating from it.

Police said the investigation led them across Australia and identified a "significant witness in relation to a large number of alleged offences ranging from the dangerous operation of aircraft, fraudulent conduct relating to insurance claims and charter operations, as well as numerous safety breaches relating to aviation regulations".

Police said the investigation also uncovered evidence relating to the alleged grievous bodily harm of an aircraft engineer at Charters Towers in July of 2014 that resulted in a man aged in his 60s suffering permanent and life-changing head injuries.

Mt Isa is a predominantly mining city in Outback Queensland, 900km from Townsville.

He was expected to appear at Mount Isa Magistrates Court today.

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