Suspension of Cargo Airline Under Appeal : FAA Safety Allegations Denied by Ameriflight

Ameriflight Inc., a cargo airline based at Burbank Airport, appealed to the Federal Aviation Administration for a new operating certificate Thursday, one day after the agency ordered the air carrier to suspend operations for alleged violations of federal safety regulations.

William Lepper, executive vice president of Ameriflight, called the suspension unwarranted and “a complete surprise.” He said he was working with local FAA officials to get the service recertified.

In the meantime, the service is maintaining its full schedule by subcontracting with other operators, Lepper said.

The FAA charged that Ameriflight, which uses 90 mostly small, propeller-driven planes, had operated aircraft in “an unworthy condition.” The agency alleged that the company failed to keep records documenting maintainance of aircraft and had in several instances improperly converted passenger compartments to cargo areas.

The FAA said its findings were based on inspections of facilities in Burbank, Oakland, Salt Lake City and Seattle.

At the Burbank facility, the FAA said, Ameriflight did not keep a list of authorized maintenance personnel and could not provide records showing that some of it maintenance technicians were qualified.

Lepper said the allegations were unfounded. He said FAA officials conducted an investigation of all Ameriflight facilities last March and the carrier was never told that there were any violations.

“The question is, if we were unsafe, how could we operate for two months?” Lepper said. “There’s no way that we agree that there were any safety violations.”

Ameriflight has more than 300 employees and schedules more than 400 departures daily from its facilities. The service has been in operation for 20 years and has flown 600,000 hours without an accident or fatality, Lepper said.

An FAA spokesman said the recertification process could take a long time. “Ameriflight operations and aircraft have to be evaluated just like any first-time operator,” said Fred O’Donnell, an FAA spokesman. “There is no time frame on when or if they will obtain a new operating certificate.”