A whistle blower alleges an inappropriately close relationship between an FAA manager and a helicopter tour company involved in three crashes during the past two years. Monfort’s front line manager, Darett Kanayama, improperly granted check airman authority to Novictor’s owner and operator, Nicole Vandelaar, according to the fact sheet. In April, a Novictor tour helicopter crashed on a residential street outside Honolulu, killing all three on board. On Dec. 26, a Safari Aviation tour helicopter crashed, killing all seven on board. The probe isn’t the first time the FAA has been accused of being too cozy with aviation companies that it regulates.

Source: thestar January 31, 2020 20:26 UTC