Missouri Regional Carriers Dinged For Nearly $2.5 Million For
Maintenance Issues
The FAA is proposing $2,476,075 in
civil penalties against Trans States Airlines and GoJet Airlines of
Bridgeton, Mo., for violation of various maintenance procedures and
operating nine jets on 320 revenue passenger flights when the
aircraft were not in compliance with FARs. Trans States Airlines
and GoJet Airlines are both owned and operated by Trans States
Holdings. Trans States Airlines performs maintenance and training
on GoJet aircraft.
The proposed civil penalties involve seven GoJet Canadair
Regional Jets and two Trans States Embraer 145 regional jets. The
FAA alleges Trans States and GoJet operated aircraft when
maintenance had been carried out incorrectly, and that the company
failed to complete required maintenance record-keeping.
The FAA alleges Trans States and GoJet violated a number of
maintenance regulations and procedures, including use of outdated
manufacturers' maintenance instructions to perform repairs; failure
to connect a wing flap actuator to its torque tube, rendering the
flaps inoperative; failure to document an inspection after an
aircraft was damaged by severe turbulence; failure to document and
carry out proper repairs after aircraft warning systems identified
problems; improper repair of an engine oil leak and failure to
comply with minimum equipment list regulations.
"Air carriers cannot ignore maintenance requirements or allow
employees to take a pass on following regulations," said FAA
Administrator Randy Babbitt. "Safety depends not only on
maintenance work being done correctly, but also being recorded
properly."
In another matter, the FAA is
proposing civil penalties totaling $422,500 against two Indian
companies for violation of U.S. Department of Transportation
hazardous materials regulations. The FAA alleged that IIS &
Allied Services, and its freight forwarder, Gallant Freight &
Travels Private, Limited of Mumbai, India, offered a shipment
containing depleted uranium, a radioactive material, to British
Airways for air transport from Mumbai to Boston, June 7, 2008,
without declaring the hazardous nature of its contents. The
shipment flew as cargo on a passenger-carrying flight. British
Airways employees at its cargo center in Boston discovered the
radioactive material June 16 when the bottom of the outer packaging
failed and separated from the rest of the crate.
The companies allegedly offered the hazardous material for
transportation when it was not packaged, marked, classed,
described, labeled or in condition for shipment as required by
regulations. Radioactive materials, with some exceptions, may not
be shipped as cargo aboard passenger aircraft.
The proposed civil penalty for IIS & Allied Services is
$227,500; and for Gallant Freight, $195,000.
The parties in both instances have 30 days to respond to the
FAA's proposed fines.
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