The FAA on Thursday said Rich, which flies to Hawaii through charter services, installed parts on six L-1011 aircraft that had been removed from another L-1011, noting that about 75 of the parts could not be traced to an FAA-approved source. The penalties also involve failure to remove an engine from service after a component had exceeded its prescribed life limits.
Rich denied the charges and said it would contest the decision.
"The FAA's proposed civil penalties against Rich International Airways are unwarranted and unfounded. We will vigorously contest the actions," company president William Meenan said in a statement.
Meenan said Rich voluntarily disclosed the incident involving the 75 parts to the FAA in March 1995, more than six weeks before the FAA issued its letter of investigation on the matter.
"All of the parts in question had been properly inspected and/or tested before they were installed in the L-1011s and all FAA regulations were properly followed," Meenan said.
"At no time did any of our aircraft fly with any parts that did not meet the highest standards of airworthiness required by FAA regulations and our own maintenance problems," he added.
Begun as a cargo airline in 1969, Rich provides domestic and international charter service for civilian and military passengers and operates a fleet of 19 aircraft including 14 L-1011s and five DC-8s.
Rich has been making weekly flights to Honolulu from Alaska since 1994, under charter to an Anchorage-based tour company, and plans to increase the service to three flights a week in the winter. The company also runs West Cost-
Honolulu flights and Dallas-Honolulu flights for other travel companies and operates a weekly charter between Frankfurt and Honolulu for a German tour operator.