Mechanic Claims He Was Fired Improperly | Aero-News Network
Aero-News Network
RSS icon RSS feed
podcast icon MP3 podcast
Subscribe Aero-News e-mail Newsletter Subscribe

Airborne Unlimited -- Most Recent Daily Episodes

Episode Date

Airborne-Monday

Airborne-Tuesday

 Airborne-Wednesday Airborne-Thursday

Airborne-Friday

Airborne On YouTube

Airborne-Unlimited-05.19.25

Airborne-NextGen-05.20.25

AirborneUnlimited-05.21.25

Airborne-AffordableFlyers-05.22.25

AirborneUnlimited-05.23.25

Sun, May 28, 2017

Mechanic Claims He Was Fired Improperly

Says He Refused To Release An Aircraft With Safety Issues

An aircraft mechanic working for Pro Pilots LLC at Teterboro Airport in New Jersey says he was fired after he refused to return an airplane with as many as eight "discrepancies" to flight status.

Dennis Portalatin said in court documents that he noted the issues, including a leak in a wing and the fuselage,  on the Dassault Falcon 20 jet, and would not sign off on the airplane.

But maintenance director allegedly said "Let it go. We'll get it fixed somewhere else. We have seven passengers to take," according to court documents.

The New York Post reports that Portalatin told his boss that he would "not sign off on a fuel leak."

He was fired from the $90,000 per year job a week later, according to the report. 

It is not known if Portalatin reported the incident to the FAA. Pro Pilots said that it follows FAA regulations, and addresses all safety issues, but would not comment on the specific allegations.

(Image from file. Not incident airplane)

FMI: www.faa.gov

Advertisement

More News

Oshkosh Memories: An Aero-News Stringer Perspective

From 2021: The Inside Skinny On What Being An ANN Oshkosh Stringer Is All About By ANN Senior Stringer Extraordinare, Gene Yarbrough The annual gathering at Oshkosh is a right of p>[...]

NTSB Prelim: Diamond Aircraft Ind Inc DA 40 NG

Pilot Asked The Mechanic To Go For A Test Flight Around The Airport Traffic Pattern With Him For A Touch-And-Go Landing, And Then A Full-Stop Landing On May 7, 2025, about 1600 eas>[...]

Classic Aero-TV: US Airways Jeff Skiles-Making History and Looking To The Future

From 2010 (YouTube Edition): Skiles Reflects On His Ring-Side Seat To An Historic Event Jeff Skiles, First Officer of US Airways Flight 1549, "The Miracle on the Hudson," was the g>[...]

Aero-News: Quote of the Day (05.26.25)

“The FAA conducted a comprehensive safety review of the SpaceX Starship Flight 8 mishap and determined that the company has satisfactorily addressed the causes of the mishap,>[...]

ANN's Daily Aero-Term (05.26.25): Fuel Remaining

Fuel Remaining A phrase used by either pilots or controllers when relating to the fuel remaining on board until actual fuel exhaustion. When transmitting such information in respon>[...]

blog comments powered by Disqus



Change Display

Headlines Only | Headlines w/ Teasers | View Everything

Advertisement

Top Videos

Airborne 05.29.25: ATC Bonu$, VX4 eVTOL Flies, Starship 9 Test

Airborne-NextGen 05.28.25: SpaceX Tries Again, Electra Blown Wing, Solar Record

Airborne 05.27.25: Ercoupe Convention, FAA v Mental Health, GAMA 1st Quarter 25

See All

Advertisement

Podcasts

Advertisement

© 2007 - 2025 Web Development & Design by Pauli Systems, LC