Air Tahoma grounded

AIR Tahoma, the Ohio-based air cargo transport operator, has been grounded. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) issued and emergency revocation of the carrier’s operating certificate following charges of 30 safety-related violations.

Paul Turk, an FAA spokesperson, said that the alleged violations were “systemic throughout the company” and “not tied to a single pilot, aircraft or incident.”

The FAA launched an audt of the company after a training flight led to a crash killing all three people on board in September 2008. An accident report revealed that there had been re-rigging of the aircraft’s flight control cables.

The audit revealed widespread problems including swapping of parts between aircraft, incomplete maintenance documentation and missing emergency equipment.

The carrier flies mainly Convair turboprops (right) from the 1950s.