SAA pilot fights for career after being blamed for turbulence incident

A veteran South African Airways (SAA) pilot with a 23-year flying record has taken the airline to the High Court to salvage her career after being blamed for a mid-air turbulence incident that injured crew members and sparked a dispute over what went wrong in the cockpit.

Captain Yvette Walsh is seeking an independent investigation into the October 2024 incident involving an Airbus A330-300 travelling from Cape Town to OR Tambo International Airport.

Walsh argues that she has not been given a fair opportunity to challenge findings that could have serious consequences for her career, according to News24,

Incident

The incident occurred when the aircraft encountered turbulence during the flight. Walsh and the flight’s captain, Craig Pearce, initially believed the aircraft’s erratic movements were caused by severe weather conditions that led to a phenomenon known as “porpoising”, where the aircraft pitches up and down rapidly.

However, subsequent reviews by Airbus and the South African Civil Aviation Authority (SACAA) reportedly concluded that Walsh’s manual control inputs contributed to the aircraft’s unstable flight path.

The Citizen has reached out to SAA and the SACAA.

Legal challenge

The findings placed the experienced pilot under scrutiny and led to her being grounded pending further processes.

In court papers, Walsh claims critical evidence that could assist her defence was not preserved. She alleges SAA did not retain cockpit voice recordings and flight data recordings, leaving her unable to independently examine key evidence surrounding the incident.

Walsh told the court that the situation has left her professional future uncertain, adding that she does not know whether she will still receive a salary at the end of the month.

Application opposed

SAA has opposed her urgent application, arguing that there is no need for an independent probe and that any urgency surrounding the matter was of Walsh’s own making.

The airline maintains that the dispute does not involve any ongoing safety concerns relating to the aircraft.

The court has since removed the case from the urgent roll and will hear it through the normal High Court process next year.

For now, Walsh remains on medical leave as the legal battle continues, and the outcome will likely determine whether she can return to the cockpit.

SAA Acting CEO

Meanwhile, Acting SAA CEO Matshela Seshibe has launched an urgent High Court application seeking to force the airline to interview him for the permanent chief executive position or halt the appointment process until disciplinary proceedings against him are concluded.

Seshibe, who was placed on special leave in August, claims SAA unfairly removed him from the recruitment process despite initially shortlisting him. He argues the airline effectively found him guilty before any disciplinary outcome.

SAA has confirmed the court application but says it will deal with the matter through legal channels while the CEO recruitment process continues.