Investigations

Gary Key, the CEO of Key Enterprises, Inc., an FAA-certified repair station in Oilton, OK, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in Tulsa, OK, to 10 charges of falsifying FAA airworthiness approval tags on jet combustion chambers. To increase profits, Key directed his employees to skip required repair specifications such as applying a special hardening coating to bushings in fuel combustion chambers, an omission that can cause engine fires and explosions. The firm’s repair station certificate could be revoked, pending FAA action. OIG investigated the case jointly with the Defense Criminal Investigative Service, with assistance from FAA and NASA.