FAA Proposes Civil Penalty Against Gulfstream Aerospace

The FAA is proposing a $425,000 civil penalty against Gulfstream Aerospace for failing to comply with training-related FARs. The penalty, announced by the agency on September 16, was the result of inspections conducted in November 2009 and March 2010. At that time the FAA determined some Gulfstream mechanics did not complete required training within time limits required in its FAA-approved training manual and that they missed numerous training deadlines. Additionally, FAA inspectors could not determine whether some of the employees actually completed training, or whether the records were inaccurate.

The FAA also alleges that Gulfstream allowed mechanics to maintain aircraft when they had not completed required training. During a June 2010 follow-up inspection, the agency determined the corrective actions were insufficient to address “systemic training and recordkeeping issues.”

A Gulfstream spokesman told AIN, “Safety is our biggest priority. These events, which happened several years ago, were largely administrative in nature. We assure our operators that there was no safety-of-flight issue surrounding these circumstances and all maintenance was performed properly. Gulfstream continuously cooperates with the Federal Aviation Administration to further enhance our training and operational procedures.”

Gulfstream Aerospace has 30 days from the receipt of the FAA’s civil penalty letter to respond to the agency.