Mechanics Reinstalled Damaged Rudder, Send Jet on Revenue Flights

"The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) proposes a $175,000 civil penalty against Empyreal Jet of Houston for allegedly operating a Raytheon Hawker 800 jet when it was not airworthy following improper maintenance," reads a recent FAA notice.

The issue in question? "An inspection in September 2022 found cracks in the skin of the jet’s rudder," an issue the regulator believes was solved with the reinstallation of the damaged part instead of actual repair and replacement. The FAA says that starting in October of 2022, Empyreal Jet reused the damaged rudder, returning it to service where it flew "approximately 31 revenue flights". Worse still, Empyreal Jet personnel recorded the replacement of the rudder piece in the aircraft's logbooks, despite the fact they'd merely reused their old ones.

Empyreal Jet openly touts their namesake on the landing page, saying the word pertains "to the highest skies in the cosmology of the ancients". It's not fun to have an official FAA notice tacked on to their business' SEO, but it is what it is. The FAA said the firm has 30 days to respond, and things will go from there. Will they call it a mixup, a maintenance error? Will they take their lumps and pay the $175,000 fine? Will there be further personnel intrigue as heads roll from the Empyreal pyramid in Houston Texas (figuratively, of course. Empyreal does not, in fact, operate an ancient worship temple to ritualistically sacrifice underperforming employees.) 

FMI: www.flyej.com