Company Hired Flight Crew Involved In Teterboro Challenger Accident

The company that hired the flight crew for the Bombardier Challenger 600 corporate jet that crashed on takeoff at Teterboro Airport has been grounded by the FAA through a Cease And Desist order. In an unusual move, Platinum Jet Management has refused to provide documents including training, duty time and pay records related to pilots and mechanics to the FAA, which served the company with a subpoena for the documents through a US attorney in Newark (NJ). Some of the records have been turned over, but not all.

A federal judge has ordered the company to attend a hearing on Monday and explain why it is refusing to turn over the requested information. From the court documents obtained by the Associated Press, it appears that the FAA is pursuing an investigation of the company on the basis that it does not have a Part 135 certificate to operate chartered aircraft. Mike Moulis, attorney for Platinum Jet, claims that the company was at the time working with AlphaJet, a Part 135 certificate holder owned by EH Darby and Co. out of Sheffield (AL).

"They were operating on another 135, which happens all the time, including on major air carriers," said Moulis. "For those guys to represent to you that that is somehow illegal, they need to go back to aviation school 101."

Moulis added that "The FAA has no clue what's going on with respect to this investigation. And they don't even have the time or decency to talk to the NTSB and now they're on a witch-hunt." In addition, Moulis claims that Platinum Jet Management does not need to provide the required documents, and that the mechanics and crew are independent contractors who are not covered by the subpoena.

FMI: www.platinum-jet.com, www.alphajet.com, www.ehdarby.com