barnstorm2
07-17-2007, 04:18 AM
man convicted for fraud in sale of unsafe helicopter
http://www.tennessean.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070714/NEWS03/70714013/1001/NEWS
GOODLETTSVILLE - A Nashville federal jury on Friday convicted a Goodlettsville man of fraud and other charges stemming from the sale of a helicopter that was unfit to fly, according to a statement from the U.S. attorney for the Middle District of Tennessee.
The case involved the sale of a helicopter by Randall Jennings, who was in the business of buying and selling aircraft.
According to witnesses, Jennings purchased a helicopter for $30,000 from a flight school in Texas. He was told by the seller that the craft had just under 2,200 flight hours on it, time recorded in log books, maintenance records and the on-board hours meter. This particular helicopter is required by the Federal Aviation Administration to have a major overhaul after reaching 2,200 hours. Without that overhaul, the helicopter is not considered safe to fly, according to testimony.
Such an overhaul costs as much as $90,000.
Witnesses testified before Senior District Judge Robert Echols that shortly after he purchased the helicopter, Jennings advertised it for sale, representing that it had been flown about 1,600 hours.
The fraud was discovered when a Texas man, who paid Jennings $65,000 for the helicopter, took it to an aircraft maintenance facility that had been caring for the helicopter. Employees determined that the helicopter had not undergone the overhaul and that the logs and meter had been altered, according to testimony.
The jury deliberated one hour before returning the guilty verdict. No sentencing date has been set.
—TIM GHIANNI
http://www.tennessean.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070714/NEWS03/70714013/1001/NEWS
GOODLETTSVILLE - A Nashville federal jury on Friday convicted a Goodlettsville man of fraud and other charges stemming from the sale of a helicopter that was unfit to fly, according to a statement from the U.S. attorney for the Middle District of Tennessee.
The case involved the sale of a helicopter by Randall Jennings, who was in the business of buying and selling aircraft.
According to witnesses, Jennings purchased a helicopter for $30,000 from a flight school in Texas. He was told by the seller that the craft had just under 2,200 flight hours on it, time recorded in log books, maintenance records and the on-board hours meter. This particular helicopter is required by the Federal Aviation Administration to have a major overhaul after reaching 2,200 hours. Without that overhaul, the helicopter is not considered safe to fly, according to testimony.
Such an overhaul costs as much as $90,000.
Witnesses testified before Senior District Judge Robert Echols that shortly after he purchased the helicopter, Jennings advertised it for sale, representing that it had been flown about 1,600 hours.
The fraud was discovered when a Texas man, who paid Jennings $65,000 for the helicopter, took it to an aircraft maintenance facility that had been caring for the helicopter. Employees determined that the helicopter had not undergone the overhaul and that the logs and meter had been altered, according to testimony.
The jury deliberated one hour before returning the guilty verdict. No sentencing date has been set.
—TIM GHIANNI