Piloted by two Australians

Plane behind security alert was on 'test flight'

MORE light has been shed on the float plane that intruded into Singapore airspace on Tuesday evening, disrupting commercial traffic and leading to two air force F16D fighter jets being scrambled.
David Boey

Sat, Jan 26, 2008
The Straits Times

MORE light has been shed on the float plane that intruded into Singapore airspace on Tuesday evening, disrupting commercial traffic and leading to two air force F16D fighter jets being scrambled.

Piloted by two Australians, it was on a 'test flight' from Koh Samui Airport and was expected to return to the private airport on the resort isle, Thai aviation authorities said yesterday.

But the Cessna 208 Caravan Amphibian, a float plane able to land on water, ended up at Changi Airport, 1,000km away.

As the plane flew on towards Singapore without an approved flight plan, the Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) scrambled two twin-seater F16D warplanes at 6.42pm to intercept it.

It landed at Changi Airport's central runway at 7.54pm and was ringed by airport police.

The 50-minute lockdown of Singapore's airspace, triggered when commercial air traffic was at its busiest, ended at 8pm.

The Cessna's flight on Tuesday was supposed to last 50 minutes. But, 21/2 hours later, it 'went off the air' despite repeated calls by air traffic controllers at Koh Samui Airport.

A spokesman for the privately owned airport off Thailand's east coast told The Straits Times the flight was 'disconnected' at 2.31pm Thai time on Tuesday. Singapore time is one hour ahead of Thai time.

The two Australian men were the only ones on board the Cessna. A check on its Australian civilian registration code, VH-NRP, showed that it was registered to Ms Mary Cummins on Jan 8 this year.

Ms Cummins and business partner Mr Rhys Thomas co-own Kimberley Extreme, an adventure tourism company based in the Australian outback town of Broome.

Kimberley Extreme already flies two float planes of the same model as VH-NRP.

Mr Thomas is a pilot who flew with now-defunct Australian airline Ansett.

He is believed to have been one of the Cessna's pilots. He declined to speak to The Straits Times yesterday.

The plane previously carried Thai registration HS-CCO. It had been used by the Coco Seaplanes Company, which was owned by Coco International, a property developer behind beachfront developments on Koh Samui.

Coco Seaplanes, now believed to be defunct, has had a patchy business record since it was set up three years ago. Sources claim its sole float plane was often grounded due to licensing difficulties and it folded when its parent firm ran into problems.

The Singapore Police Force said yesterday that the two Australians are assisting with its investigations.

The Straits Times understands they are neither in police custody nor charged with any offence. But their passports have been impounded.

dboey@sph.com.sg