SEATTLE – The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) proposes a $500,000 civil penalty against SeaPort Airlines, Inc. of Portland, Ore., for allegedly operating three single-engine Cessna Caravans when they were not airworthy.
The FAA alleges SeaPort failed to perform initial and recurring borescope inspections of the planes’ turbine compressor blades. The inspections are required by an Airworthiness Directive that is intended to prevent compressor turbine blade failures, which could cause an engine to lose power.
“Airworthiness Directives are critical safety tools,” said FAA Administrator Michael Huerta. “Safe operations depend on meticulous compliance with their requirements.”
The FAA alleges the company operated the three aircraft on a total of 583 flights when the inspections were overdue. The agency alleges the aircraft therefore were not airworthy.
Additionally, the FAA alleges SeaPort failed to record the method of compliance with the Airworthiness Directive and when the next recurring inspections were required for those three aircraft as well as another Cessna Caravan.
SeaPort has 30 days from receiving the FAA’s enforcement letter to respond to the agency.