In its toughest punitive move to date, New Zealand's Civil Aviation Authority is to ground the small Palmerston North-based operator United Aviation because of "serious maintenance deÌciencies" discovered during audits.
The airline, which ßies a small ßeet of piston twins, suffered a fatal accident with one of its Beech Barons in June, but the CAA says that there is nothing so far to link this with maintenance failures.
The CAA has already suspended the airline's air-service certificate, training-organisation certificate, and aerial-work certificate. It is now moving to revoke the engineering licences of chief executive and maintenance controller John Plank, following the audits.
Breaches of regulations included poor maintenance, allowing extensive corrosion, operation of aircraft with serious defects, and allowing pilots to substantially exceed duty-time limitations. Seven aircraft have been grounded by the CAA, and certificates of airworthiness revoked or suspended on others.
The authority says that it intends to declare Plank neither "a fit and proper person" to hold the maintenance and inspection documents, nor to hold the position of chief executive or maintenance controller of an aviation organisation.
Source: Flight International
