The Federal Aviation Administration is proposing a $339,716 civil penalty against Slice of the 406 LLC, 82 and Sunny LLC, and other associated parties. It alleges conducting illegal charter flights.
The FAA alleges that between July 2017 and November 2018, the parties conducted approximately 26 paid passenger-carrying flights. The trips used a Cessna Citation II C550 light jet.
The agency alleges the parties did not have the required FAA operating or air carrier certificate. The parties also conducted flights without appropriate operations specifications, which outline what a company is authorized to do.
According to the FAA, operations used unqualified pilots who did not complete FAA-required training, testing, and competency checks.
According to a report by MTN News, “FAA records obtained by MTN show a plane of the same make and model registered to Slice of the 406 crashed on Nov. 30, 2018, while approaching the airport in Fargo, North Dakota.”
The article adds, “On Nov. 23, 2016, a Beechcraft Super King Air 200 listed to be under the ownership of Slice of the 406 LLC missed an approach at Minnesota’s Moorhead Municipal Airport.”
In both accidents, there were only minor injuries, according to MTN News. The Citation II was carrying 11 passengers and crew. The King Air was carrying seven individuals.
Filings show the company is based in Helena, Montana.
Last month, the company hit five other operators with $1.2 million in fines alleging illegal charters.
In some cases, operators have successfully challenged fines. During an Aviation Week webinar last year, 64% of attendees said illegal charter is very/often problematic. Another 31% said these “Part 134.5 flights” are occasionally problematic.
In 2019, the FAA issued warning signs to help consumers identify illegal charters.
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