FAA Revokes Ameriflight’s Flight Certificate

WASHINGTON — The Federal Aviation Administration on Wednesday ordered Ameriflight Inc.--a Burbank-based air cargo service--to suspend its flight operations immediately after the agency found major violations of federal safety regulations.

In announcing revocation of the company’s air carrier certificate, the FAA charged that Ameriflight, which uses 90 mostly small, propeller-driven planes in its cargo service, had operated aircraft “in an unairworthy condition.”

The agency also alleged that the company failed to keep records documenting required maintenance of its planes and in several cases had converted passenger compartments improperly to cargo areas.

“The Federal Aviation Administration is of the opinion that an emergency requiring immediate action exists with respect to safety in air commerce,” the agency said in a statement.

Calls to the firm’s Burbank office seeking comment were not returned. The Air Transport Assn., the air carrier trade association, listed Ameriflight’s president as Gary Richards.

Ameriflight provides cargo service primarily in the Western states. The FAA said its action was based on inspections of Ameriflight facilities in Burbank, Oakland, Salt Lake City and Seattle.

The agency said that in Burbank, Ameriflight maintained no list of authorized maintenance personnel and could not furnish records showing that some of its maintenance technicians are qualified.

On one plane, it said, an inspection procedure that is required every 100 flight hours was not completed until after 10,425 flight hours. Mandatory records were not kept on the time in service of propellers used in the company’s fleet and on conversions of planes from passenger configurations to cargo haulers.

In an examination of one aircraft, the FAA report said, an inspector found 16 missing and damaged parts. Another plane was cited for three cracked engine cylinders and defective stabilizer controls.

FAA officials said the carrier can apply for restoration of its flight certificate after follow-up inspections to ensure that all problems have been resolved.

A spokesman for the U.S. Postal Service, for which Ameriflight hauls mail, said the action will not affect postal operations. Spokesman Meg Harris said the Postal Service has more than 500 cargo carriers under contract, and that “there will be no delay in mail service because we can reroute deliveries or arrange for alternate carriers immediately.”