Administration Ordered To Reimburse Florida Company In March

Air Trek, a medical ambulance operator in Punta Gorda, FL, has been accused by the FAA of inadequately training pilots and not performing inspections and maintenance in a timely fashion, and had had its air carrier certificate pulled by the administration. The company successfully defended its self against the charges, and then sought to recover $122,000 in legal fees from the FAA, which was granted by an administrative law judge and upheld by the NTSB. Case closed, right?

Not so much. The Sarasota, FL Herald-Tribune reports that the FAA has asked the NTSB to reconsider its decision to uphold the finding, which has put the entire matter on hold while it's being sorted out. Air-Trek co-owner Dana Carr says the FAA is stalling, prolonging a case that caused the company owned by he and his brother Wayne to lay off 65 employees and has cost the company over $10 million in revenue. Air-Trek was grounded for 15 months while it fought the allegations.

The NTSB is "currently reviewing the case", according to FAA spokeswoman Kathleen Bergen. She told the paper that the agency's lawyers disagree with the administrative law judges' interpretation in the case. The judge found that the FAA lacked evidence to prove its charges.

Air-Trek has been flying again after having its certificate restored in August, and Carr said he's rehired 30 of the workers he'd laid off.

In a separate matter, the FAA is reportedly investigating whether to suspend Wayne Carr's pilot certificate, saying he operated an aircraft for which an avionics installation was not properly documented. Dana Carr calls it "retribution." The FAA's Bergen said it would not comment on the action without an FOIA request.

FMI: www.faa.gov, www.medjets.com