NTSB Clears Air East On Some FAA Allegations

Citing insufficient evidence, an NTSB law judge dismissed FAA allegations that charter operator Air East did not comply with several ADs and that some personnel were not properly qualified. The charges precipitated an emergency revocation of Air East’s Part 135 certificate on March 8, grounding the Farmingdale, N.Y. charter operator. The full Safety Board was scheduled to issue a decision this month on Air East’s appeal to dismiss the remaining charges, dealing with a variety of alleged reporting and record-keeping violations. The emergency revocation followed an FAA investigation into the fatal crash last August 4 of one of the company’s Learjets in Groton, Conn.