FAA Proposes $1.3 Million Civil Penalty for Gulfstream International Airlines

By: Gregory Polek

May 22, 2009
Air Transport and Cargo, Government, Safety

The FAA has proposed leveling a $1.3 million fine on Fort Lauderdale, Fla.-based Gulfstream International Airlines for improper scheduling of flight crew duty time and the installation of unapproved air conditioner compressors and improperly maintained vent blowers on the regional airline’s fleet of 27 Beech 1900Ds.

An FAA review of the airline’s electronic record-keeping system for tracking crew duty and rest time revealed that Gulfstream did not accurately input the proper data from its manually generated hard-copy aircraft logbook records into the electronic system. The discrepancies resulted in scheduling crewmembers in excess of daily and weekly flight time limitations.

Separately, during an inspection last June the FAA determined that the airline had installed unapproved automotive air conditioner compressors on its aircraft between September 2006 and May 2008. Following the FAA inspection, the airline grounded all of the affected aircraft and replaced the units with approved aircraft air conditioner compressors. Meanwhile, in the course of a July 2008 inspection of Gulfstream avionics and component shops in Fort Lauderdale, the FAA discovered that the airline had installed improperly maintained vent blowers on six airplanes between January and June 2008. Following that inspection, the airline replaced the blowers with properly maintained units.

Gulfstream has 30 days from the receipt of the civil penalty letter, issued yesterday, to respond to the FAA.

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