Former Air Canada Pilot Accused of Flying for 17 Years With Fake Licence

Former Air Canada pilot Geoffrey Wall has been accused of flying commercial aircraft for 17 years using a fake licence. According to Deputy Chief Nick Milinovich, the accused put the safety of thousands of passengers at risk. Police have filed several charges against Wall, including fraud over 5,000 dollars, public mischief, use of forged documents and possession of a forged certification mark.

The 59-year-old Wall was arrested on June 1 after Transport Canada’s investigation found irregularities in his documents. Police said Wall began his aviation career in 1998 and obtained the position of pilot-in-command, or captain, in 2009 on the basis of a fake certificate. After that, he continued flying for years while carrying thousands of passengers. The case came to light only last year when shortcomings were found in his documents during a regular operational check by Transport Canada at Pearson Airport. A detailed investigation was then launched under the name “Project Icarus.” Investigators are now trying to find out how the accused prepared the fake documents and how he managed to avoid detection for such a long time.