The FAA has revoked Starflite Aviation’s certificate, alleging falsification of pilot records, putting 170 flights at risk.
HOUSTON — The Federal Aviation Administration has issued an emergency order canceling all flight operations for a Houston-based charter plane company, alleging the business falsified pilot training records.
According to the FAA, Starflite Aviation, located near William P. Hobby Airport, falsified training record entries for at least 10 pilots over several years — including the company’s chief pilot.
The agency claims those fraudulent entries resulted in unqualified pilots operating at least 170 flights.
In its emergency order, the FAA said the company’s “conduct demonstrates a disregard for the safety of the flying public.” The order immediately revokes Starflite’s air carrier certificate, effectively grounding its operations.
KHOU 11 attempted to contact the company for comment. When a reporter identified himself over the phone, the call was disconnected. Later, when a KHOU crew waited outside the business along a public easement, airport security approached and said someone inside had reported they were “spying.” Security threatened to call the Houston Police Department, but officers were never dispatched.
To better understand the allegations, KHOU 11 spoke with Robert Katz, a Dallas-based commercial pilot and flight instructor with more than 44 years of experience.
“If customers knew that they were about to get involved with someone who is dangerous, they might think twice about that and take their business elsewhere,” Katz said.
Katz added that tight profit margins in the charter industry can sometimes lead to operators cutting corners.
“Quite possibly a mechanic or pilot involved in this operation notified the office in Houston that this operator is not kosher, they’re cutting corners, they’re operating on a shoestring, they’re just out of compliance,” he said. “This is the type of thing that gets the FAA’s attention.”
The FAA has not said whether additional enforcement actions or penalties could follow.
KHOU 11 will update this story if Starflite Aviation responds to the allegations.
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