Tue, Jul 19, 2005
Operation Safe Pilot
Forty California pilots
were charged with making false statements to a government agency or
similar charges Monday. Officials allege that the pilots in
question concealed serious medical conditions, in many cases while
collecting disability pay.
"The fraud and falsification allegedly committed by these
individuals is extremely serious and adversely affects the public
interest in air safety,'' said Nicholas Sabatini, the FAA's
associate administrator for aviation safety.
Federal agents conducted an 18-month investigation that found
that the pilots were collecting Social Security disability benefits
for conditions they did not put in their medical applications. Some
of the conditions were schizophrenia, drug addiction and heart
problems.
None of the pilots in question have been accused of flying
unsafely. Most of the accused were private pilots, although a few
had commercial licenses and one was a commercial airline pilot,
said Patty Pontello, spokeswoman for the U. S. attorney's office in
Sacramento.
Thirty of the pilots have been indicted on charges of making
false statements to a government agency. These charges are
felonies, and punishable by up to five years in prison and a
$250,000 fine.
The other ten pilots face similar charges of making and
delivering a false official writing, a misdemeanor punishable by up
to a year in jail.
The Federal Aviation Administration said it has revoked 14
pilots' licenses and notified the other 26 that their licenses and
medical certificates may be suspended, according to media
reports.
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