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FAA Refuses to Act of 15-Year-Old Request to Update Manuals on Flying Low on Fuel.
Investigators cited the pilot's failure to divert to another airport or promptly tell air traffic controllers he was running out of fuel. But key testimony showed the company pushed pilots to fly on low levels of fuel, and that the policy was not to buy fuel from noncontract vendors. The reason: It was pricier.
If the pilot returned to Toledo, the base, with above minimum fuel, "They would get a call . . . reminding them they returned with too much fuel," pilot Saleem Iqbal told the NTSB.
For Grand Aire, "low fuel did not necessarily constitute declaring an emergency," the pilot said.
Iqbal recently filed suit against Grand Aire in Ohio, saying he sustained "debilitating injury" after crashing in a plane "that had been improperly maintained or fueled."
"His seat belt broke, and his face crashed into the front window," said his attorney, Michael Zychowicz. Iqbal, he said, suffered "massive fractures of his face," requiring reconstructive surgery.
Grand Aire has a history of deaths, crashes and fines, yet the FAA said it is cautious before grounding companies "because we almost certainly will be forced to defend our action in court." The company has declined to comment.
The NTSB cited its earlier safety recommendation in the Grand Aire crash report.
After the Avianca crash, the board wanted flight manuals to detail safe fuel practices and protocol. The manuals "should include criteria for when Air Traffic Control must be notified . . . and when emergency handling is required."
