Hijack scare passenger to face Qld trial
A man who sparked a hijacking scare on a flight to Bali will face trial later this year.
Matt Christopher Lockley, 27, is charged with interfering with a crew member on a Virgin Australia flight from Brisbane to Denpasar on April 25.
The northern NSW plumber allegedly banged on the cockpit door, causing pilots to trigger an "unlawful interference" alert that put the Indonesian air force and police on notice for a hijacker on arrival.
He was arrested by Indonesian police but released without charge three days later and sent back to Australia.
Lockley told reporters in Bali he'd mistaken the cockpit door for a toilet door while suffering a panic attack.
On Friday, Brisbane Magistrate Chris Callaghan set the case down for a two-day trial on October 30 and 31 this year in the Brisbane Magistrates Court.
Commonwealth prosecutor Anita Sharma said there were nine or 10 witnesses including cabin crew and the pilot from the flight.
Lockley was not in court.
