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Leslie Woodall, a pilot who caused a fatal light plane crash on an island in Australia’s Great Barrier Reef, has been given a suspended sentence. The crash, which happened in January 2017, resulted in the death of British tourist Jocelyn Spurway and the serious injury of 21-year-old Hannah O’Dowd from Ireland. Woodall was found guilty of dangerously operating a vehicle causing death and grievous bodily harm after one of the plane’s engines failed. The prosecution argued that it was not the engine failure but rather Woodall’s response to it that led to the crash.
Aviation experts who gave evidence at the trial said that Woodall, an experienced pilot, went against flight training and best practice. They claimed that he should have kept the wings level in order to glide and land safely. However, Woodall’s defence team argued that he had few options in a highly stressful situation. In a 2019 police interview played to the court, Woodall said that he had been trying to reach a sandbank and had decided against landing in the water because of the risk of drowning and bull sharks.
The trial heard that Woodall had sharply turned the Cessna 172N to the left after the engine stopped, causing the plane to rapidly lose altitude. The wing hit the sand, and the plane rolled. Spurway suffered fatal spinal injuries, while O’Dowd sustained a traumatic brain injury and multiple fractures. Woodall himself was also seriously injured in the crash, and a 13-year-old boy on board suffered a broken ankle.
Woodall was given a two-year sentence, wholly suspended. He will remain free as long as he complies with certain conditions. The three-day trial in the Brisbane District Court was shown footage filmed by one of the three passengers inside the plane, which captured the moment the engine failed and Woodall turned the plane
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