Summary

On October 27, David Stanley Fisher, Ocala, Florida, pled guilty in U.S. District Court (USDC), Gainesville, Florida, to charges associated with making false statements regarding aircraft maintenance. Fisher admitted that while employed at World Aircraft Connections, Inc. (WAC), Williston, Florida, as a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) licensed mechanic with Airframe and Powerplant (A&P) ratings, he signed off that he overhauled a main rotor hub assembly, a compressor assembly, a turbine assembly, and a gearbox assembly and installed these parts on two separate Bell helicopters when in fact he did not overhaul the parts. He further admitted that he signed off on two 100 hour inspections for the same two helicopters when in fact he did not complete proper inspections of the aircraft. As part of his plea agreement, Mr. Fisher agreed to permanently surrender and forfeit his FAA aircraft and mechanics license with A&P ratings and not reapply for this license upon completion of his sentence.  Mr. Fisher's sentencing hearing is scheduled for February 2011.

In the same investigation, on October 28, James Lanier Smith, Ocala, Florida, was sentenced in the USDC, Gainesville, Florida, to one year probation, a fine in the amount of $2500, and a special assessment fee of $100.  Mr. Smith, also employed by WAC, had previously pled guilty to charges that he made a false entry in an aircraft logbook when he stated that he completed an annual inspection of a Bell L-1 helicopter and certified it airworthy when in fact he did not complete a thorough inspection of the helicopter and the helicopter was not airworthy.  During the sentencing hearing, the District Court Judge ordered that Mr. Smith's FAA aircraft mechanic license be revoked and that he not seek or accept work relating to aircraft inspection or repair.

This investigation was conducted with assistance from FAA.