Ex-pilot says he was ejected from air force

Andrea Serra, 43, a major in the SAAF, is suing the Ministry of Defence for R3482124 for loss of income, claiming that he was "victimised and unfairly treated" by his superiors.

He has told the Pretoria High Court that he was made to resign from the air force after ejecting from a fighter plane.

Claiming constructive dismissal as the reason for his 2005 resignation, Serra said his nightmare began in 2003 when he was involved in a flying accident.

He ejected from a Cheetah when it was about to crash. He injured his back but went through numerous medical tests that found there was nothing wrong with him.

"I was barred from flying and instead put behind a desk and was eventually making tea for senior staff members." he said.

"I was given work that I did not apply for."

Serra, who has been a fighter pilot since 1995, said he was obstructed from furthering his career despite being adequately qualified.

Though he had completed several courses that qualified him for other posts in the SAAF, he was barred from applying for them.

He was grounded several times for trivial reasons, such as driving a bus on a white line, and was sent for a series of psychological tests, which had not been required of other pilots who had been involved in accidents, he said.

None of the tests, he said, indicated that he was mentally unfit.

A board of inquiry into the accident found that he had not been negligent.

"I do not know why I was discriminated against, but somebody just wanted me to go.

"There was no report that suggested that I was unable to do my job. In fact, I was declared G1, A1, K1 fit, which meant I was not restricted to do anything as a pilot," Serra said.

He was restricted from flying for 14 months and, in 2004, was told that he would be allowed to fly only under supervision.

"This was a serious handbrake on my career because I could not go beyond that."

He said he went through SAAF procedures to deal with his problems but got no response.

Serra told the court that he had no choice but to resign against his will.

The Ministry of Defence still has to present its case.