FAA Revokes Operator Certificate After Systematic Falsification of Pilot Training Records
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The Federal Aviation Administration has issued an emergency order immediately revoking the Air Carrier Certificate of StarFlite Aviation, a Houston-based Part 135 operator, following allegations that management personnel knowingly falsified pilot training records over a five-year period.
The FAA alleges that between November 2019 and November 2024, StarFlite management made numerous false entries in the training records of at least 10 pilots, including the chief pilot. The fraudulent entries indicated that check rides and competency checks were performed in various aircraft when those evaluations never occurred.
As a result, the FAA said that StarFlite operated at least 170 flights using pilots who did not meet regulatory qualification requirements.
The emergency order also found that StarFlite lacks qualified management personnel to ensure the safety of its operations. The FAA determination that the company's conduct "demonstrates a disregard for the safety of the flying public" triggered the immediate certificate revocation rather than a progressive enforcement action.
Emergency revocations are relatively rare in FAA enforcement, typically reserved for cases where the agency determines that continued operations pose an immediate safety risk.
StarFlite can appeal the emergency order by filing a notice with the National Transportation Safety Board. However, the certificate revocation takes immediate effect, grounding the operator's fleet pending resolution of the case.
