Story ID: 
NATA Attacks Operational, Maintenance Problems
By: AIN Staff
Caption: The National Air Transportation Association (NATA) issued a call to action last week related to maintenance issues for charter operators.
Word Count: 146
The National Air Transportation Association (NATA) issued a call to action last week related to maintenance issues for charter operators. The association wants members to complete a survey related to the issue of FAR Part 135 maintenance of aircraft with more than nine versus nine or fewer seats. According to NATA, inconsistent information being sent to field inspectors has affected operators who previously placarded or blocked a tenth seat to maintain the aircraft as if it were equipped with nine. Meanwhile, the association requested last week that the FAA modify FAR 119.53 to allow for the industry-accepted practice of wet leasing. NATA recently wrote a letter to FAA director of flight standards Jim Ballough that said, “pilot payment in and of itself is not a determining factor in operational control. The issue of pilots remaining employed by an aircraft owner continues to raise the wet lease ’red flag.’”