The aviation watchdog has been criticised for allowing Barry Hempel to continue flying. Source: News Limited

Samantha Hare lost her partner Ian Lovell in the crash, after buying him a voucher for the joyflight for his birthday. Source: News Limited

Samantha Hare purchased a flight for $492 for her partner Ian Lovell after doing checks on pilot Barry Hempel.

Mr Lovell was killed along with Mr Hempel when the Hempel Aviation Yak-52 warbird crashed into the sea near Stradbroke Island on August 31, 2008.

Coroner John Hutton today heavily criticised the Civil Aviation Safety Authority for ignoring medical warnings and allowing the pilot to fly after his licence was cancelled in 2001.

“None of this brings Ian back,” Ms Hare said outside court today.

“Recommendations can be put forward … but Ian is gone.”

Ms Hare said the information about the pilot should have been made available including that his commercial licence had been suspended.

“I’m angry at CASA,” she said.

“I’m angry really when it comes down to it CASA is the regulatory body and they did nothing to stop Barry from flying.

“I think there needs to be a better way for people to be able to check what kind of licences pilots hold.”

“What he did in flying Ian was illegal and he had had his commercial licence suspended but CASA actually gave him the freedom.”

In reading out the findings today Mr Hutton said moments before the crash Mr Lovell, a passenger in the two-seat plane, had inadvertently transmitted a six-second message on a microphone.

He said: “Oh my God, what are you doing? Put it up (or put it on)”.

There was no response from Mr Hempel.

The findings released today said an autopsy found there was “gross evidence” that Mr Hempel, a pilot of 40 years, had a prior injury and scarring which could cause seizures.

He had been struck by a hangar door in May 2001 and suffered a seizure, and two Queensland ambulance reports of incidents in July and October 2002 showed they were consistent with epileptic seizures.

His licence was cancelled in 2001 after the incident.

The information was supplied to CASA.

Dr Andrew Spall, who had known Mr Hempel since 1980, had given the pilot Tegretol in 2002, which is commonly prescribed for epilepsy.

The coroner found the doctor failed in his duty to to advise CASA he had reservations concerning epilepsy and that he had prescribed him with Tegretol.

In 2005, Dr Ian Maxwell cleared Mr Hempel to fly but he did not disclose one of the incidents to the doctor and described the other as fainting.

“It’s is quite clear that Barry Hempel was both a liar and and conniver in dealing with Dr Maxwell,” Mr Hutton said in his findings.

The doctor during the inquest said Mr Hempel’s career would have been over as a pilot had Mr Hempel or CASA had disclosed the information.

Mr Hutton said it was “unbelievable” CASA had not acted after receiving a Queensland Ambulance Service report and that that CASA’s aviation medical branch officers had been “cavalier” and disregarded clear warnings as to Mr Hempel’s epileptic state.

“This document ought it have put CASA on red alert as to Barry Hempel’s ability to fly,” the coroner said in his findings.

At the time of his death Mr Hempel held a private pilot’s licence but his commercial, transport and commercial helicopter licence had been cancelled, meaning he was not allowed to take paying customers.

He had more than two pages of history with CASA dating back to 1968 for breaching flying regulations.

Mr Hutton said given his history of breaches and evidence in the inquest which suggested he thought he was “above the law” it was “indeed extraordinary that he was left with even a private pilot’s licence”.

“CASA knew he flew with total disregard for the safety regulations enacted to protect the public, passengers and the aviation industry generally,” Mr Hutton said.

He found it was likely Mr Hempel suffered a seizure.

Mr Hutton recommended that CASA immediately consider releasing names of pilots who have conditions imposed on their licence or had their licence suspended or cancelled.

He also recommended CASA consider a register of pilots which included licence suspensions and cancellations on its website.

Another recommendation was that when investigating a pilot’s fitness CASA should consider adopting a practice to obtain ambulance, paramedic and hospital reports and attempt to contact the authors of the reports.

The final recommendation was that the Queensland Government consider involvement in the Commonwealth’s centralised medical treatment system.

A spokesman for CASA said the organisation would “carefully consider” the recommendations but could give no timeframe on when it would respond to them or if any would be implemented.

He also declined to comment on any criticisms of the aviation body.

###

The aviation watchdog has been criticised for allowing Barry Hempel to continue flying. Source: News Limited

Samantha Hare lost her partner Ian Lovell in the crash, after buying him a voucher for the joyflight for his birthday. Source: News Limited

Samantha Hare purchased a flight for $492 for her partner Ian Lovell after doing checks on pilot Barry Hempel.

Mr Lovell was killed along with Mr Hempel when the Hempel Aviation Yak-52 warbird crashed into the sea near Stradbroke Island on August 31, 2008.

Coroner John Hutton today heavily criticised the Civil Aviation Safety Authority for ignoring medical warnings and allowing the pilot to fly after his licence was cancelled in 2001.

“None of this brings Ian back,” Ms Hare said outside court today.

“Recommendations can be put forward … but Ian is gone.”

Ms Hare said the information about the pilot should have been made available including that his commercial licence had been suspended.

“I’m angry at CASA,” she said.

“I’m angry really when it comes down to it CASA is the regulatory body and they did nothing to stop Barry from flying.

“I think there needs to be a better way for people to be able to check what kind of licences pilots hold.”

“What he did in flying Ian was illegal and he had had his commercial licence suspended but CASA actually gave him the freedom.”

In reading out the findings today Mr Hutton said moments before the crash Mr Lovell, a passenger in the two-seat plane, had inadvertently transmitted a six-second message on a microphone.

He said: “Oh my God, what are you doing? Put it up (or put it on)”.

There was no response from Mr Hempel.

The findings released today said an autopsy found there was “gross evidence” that Mr Hempel, a pilot of 40 years, had a prior injury and scarring which could cause seizures.

He had been struck by a hangar door in May 2001 and suffered a seizure, and two Queensland ambulance reports of incidents in July and October 2002 showed they were consistent with epileptic seizures.

His licence was cancelled in 2001 after the incident.

The information was supplied to CASA.

Dr Andrew Spall, who had known Mr Hempel since 1980, had given the pilot Tegretol in 2002, which is commonly prescribed for epilepsy.

The coroner found the doctor failed in his duty to to advise CASA he had reservations concerning epilepsy and that he had prescribed him with Tegretol.

In 2005, Dr Ian Maxwell cleared Mr Hempel to fly but he did not disclose one of the incidents to the doctor and described the other as fainting.

“It’s is quite clear that Barry Hempel was both a liar and and conniver in dealing with Dr Maxwell,” Mr Hutton said in his findings.

The doctor during the inquest said Mr Hempel’s career would have been over as a pilot had Mr Hempel or CASA had disclosed the information.

Mr Hutton said it was “unbelievable” CASA had not acted after receiving a Queensland Ambulance Service report and that that CASA’s aviation medical branch officers had been “cavalier” and disregarded clear warnings as to Mr Hempel’s epileptic state.

“This document ought it have put CASA on red alert as to Barry Hempel’s ability to fly,” the coroner said in his findings.

At the time of his death Mr Hempel held a private pilot’s licence but his commercial, transport and commercial helicopter licence had been cancelled, meaning he was not allowed to take paying customers.

He had more than two pages of history with CASA dating back to 1968 for breaching flying regulations.

Mr Hutton said given his history of breaches and evidence in the inquest which suggested he thought he was “above the law” it was “indeed extraordinary that he was left with even a private pilot’s licence”.

“CASA knew he flew with total disregard for the safety regulations enacted to protect the public, passengers and the aviation industry generally,” Mr Hutton said.

He found it was likely Mr Hempel suffered a seizure.

Mr Hutton recommended that CASA immediately consider releasing names of pilots who have conditions imposed on their licence or had their licence suspended or cancelled.

He also recommended CASA consider a register of pilots which included licence suspensions and cancellations on its website.

Another recommendation was that when investigating a pilot’s fitness CASA should consider adopting a practice to obtain ambulance, paramedic and hospital reports and attempt to contact the authors of the reports.

The final recommendation was that the Queensland Government consider involvement in the Commonwealth’s centralised medical treatment system.

A spokesman for CASA said the organisation would “carefully consider” the recommendations but could give no timeframe on when it would respond to them or if any would be implemented.

He also declined to comment on any criticisms of the aviation body.

###

The aviation watchdog has been criticised for allowing Barry Hempel to continue flying. Source: News Limited

Samantha Hare lost her partner Ian Lovell in the crash, after buying him a voucher for the joyflight for his birthday. Source: News Limited

Samantha Hare purchased a flight for $492 for her partner Ian Lovell after doing checks on pilot Barry Hempel.

Mr Lovell was killed along with Mr Hempel when the Hempel Aviation Yak-52 warbird crashed into the sea near Stradbroke Island on August 31, 2008.

Coroner John Hutton today heavily criticised the Civil Aviation Safety Authority for ignoring medical warnings and allowing the pilot to fly after his licence was cancelled in 2001.

“None of this brings Ian back,” Ms Hare said outside court today.

“Recommendations can be put forward … but Ian is gone.”

Ms Hare said the information about the pilot should have been made available including that his commercial licence had been suspended.

“I’m angry at CASA,” she said.

“I’m angry really when it comes down to it CASA is the regulatory body and they did nothing to stop Barry from flying.

“I think there needs to be a better way for people to be able to check what kind of licences pilots hold.”

“What he did in flying Ian was illegal and he had had his commercial licence suspended but CASA actually gave him the freedom.”

In reading out the findings today Mr Hutton said moments before the crash Mr Lovell, a passenger in the two-seat plane, had inadvertently transmitted a six-second message on a microphone.

He said: “Oh my God, what are you doing? Put it up (or put it on)”.

There was no response from Mr Hempel.

The findings released today said an autopsy found there was “gross evidence” that Mr Hempel, a pilot of 40 years, had a prior injury and scarring which could cause seizures.

He had been struck by a hangar door in May 2001 and suffered a seizure, and two Queensland ambulance reports of incidents in July and October 2002 showed they were consistent with epileptic seizures.

His licence was cancelled in 2001 after the incident.

The information was supplied to CASA.

Dr Andrew Spall, who had known Mr Hempel since 1980, had given the pilot Tegretol in 2002, which is commonly prescribed for epilepsy.

The coroner found the doctor failed in his duty to to advise CASA he had reservations concerning epilepsy and that he had prescribed him with Tegretol.

In 2005, Dr Ian Maxwell cleared Mr Hempel to fly but he did not disclose one of the incidents to the doctor and described the other as fainting.

“It’s is quite clear that Barry Hempel was both a liar and and conniver in dealing with Dr Maxwell,” Mr Hutton said in his findings.

The doctor during the inquest said Mr Hempel’s career would have been over as a pilot had Mr Hempel or CASA had disclosed the information.

Mr Hutton said it was “unbelievable” CASA had not acted after receiving a Queensland Ambulance Service report and that that CASA’s aviation medical branch officers had been “cavalier” and disregarded clear warnings as to Mr Hempel’s epileptic state.

“This document ought it have put CASA on red alert as to Barry Hempel’s ability to fly,” the coroner said in his findings.

At the time of his death Mr Hempel held a private pilot’s licence but his commercial, transport and commercial helicopter licence had been cancelled, meaning he was not allowed to take paying customers.

He had more than two pages of history with CASA dating back to 1968 for breaching flying regulations.

Mr Hutton said given his history of breaches and evidence in the inquest which suggested he thought he was “above the law” it was “indeed extraordinary that he was left with even a private pilot’s licence”.

“CASA knew he flew with total disregard for the safety regulations enacted to protect the public, passengers and the aviation industry generally,” Mr Hutton said.

He found it was likely Mr Hempel suffered a seizure.

Mr Hutton recommended that CASA immediately consider releasing names of pilots who have conditions imposed on their licence or had their licence suspended or cancelled.

He also recommended CASA consider a register of pilots which included licence suspensions and cancellations on its website.

Another recommendation was that when investigating a pilot’s fitness CASA should consider adopting a practice to obtain ambulance, paramedic and hospital reports and attempt to contact the authors of the reports.

The final recommendation was that the Queensland Government consider involvement in the Commonwealth’s centralised medical treatment system.

A spokesman for CASA said the organisation would “carefully consider” the recommendations but could give no timeframe on when it would respond to them or if any would be implemented.

He also declined to comment on any criticisms of the aviation body.

###