Mon, May 03, 2010
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.
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