Fri, Apr 08, 2011
Student Pilot Slightly Injured In Latest Of A String Of
Accidents
The safety record of Upper Limit flight school in Salt Lake
City has come into question following an accident Wednesday
afternoon.
The aircraft with an instructor and a student on board was
returning to South Valley Regional Airport shortly after noon when
the instructor executed an emergency landing. The student suffered
a minor head injury and the aircraft sustained substantial damage.
A statement on the company website indicates that "an Upper Limit
Aviation aircraft experienced a loss of power while in the traffic
pattern at South Valley Regional Airport. The pilot executed an
emergency landing, and the aircraft sustained what appears to be
substantial damage. There are no injuries, and both passengers are
OK. FAA has been notified."
The incident was the 7tn involving a helicopter belonging to
Upper Limit in the same number of years, according to a report in
the Desert News. None of those accidents caused serious
injury, but it has made some people question the safety procedures
followed by the school. The paper reports that a former maintenance
worker has accused the company's owner of asking him to falsify
evidence in one incident. A spokeswoman for the company said that
it had never altered evidence in an accident, and called the
mechanic making the accusation a "disgruntled former employee" who
was fired for "incompetence and low levels of performance."
The FAA said that the school had not been subject to any fines,
sanctions, or other actions. But FAA spokesman Mike Fergus said
"Safety is always the FAA's top priority. Any operator that's
involved in multiple accidents in a relatively short period is
going to get heightened attention from us."
The school has been accredited by Accrediting Commission of
Career Schools And Colleges since 2009. It provides helicopter
instruction for Salt Lake Community College.
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