U.S. Agency Bans Personnel From Charter Firm Use

The Forest Service, citing safety concerns, has banned its personnel from using a charter aviation service owned by a friend of Senate Minority Leader Tom Daschle (D-S.D.).

The charter company, B&L; Aviation Co. of Rapid City, S.D., had a history of problems passing Forest Service safety inspections and was involved in a fatal plane crash last year in North Dakota.

Daschle, a South Dakota Democrat, had tried unsuccessfully at the urging of B&L;’s owner to eliminate the Forest Service inspection program.

“Basically because of past events with certification programs we’ve been told we shouldn’t utilize them,” Stan Sylva, a spokesman for the Black Hills National Forest, said Monday.

He said the decision was made by officials in the Forest Service’s regional office at Golden, Colo. B&L; was one of several charter services used by the Forest Service to transport firefighters and to fly fire reconnaissance missions in the region.

B&L;’s owner, Murl Bellew, defended the company’s safety and said the Forest Service never notified him of the decision.

Daschle denies he did anything improper to assist Bellew.

The matter is being investigated by the Transportation Department as part of a probe into allegations that the Federal Aviation Administration destroyed documents related to B&L; and Daschle.