Cargo plane operator’s license suspended

The civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) has suspended the license of Aviation Technology Innovators (ATI), the operator of the light cargo plane that crashed into a Parañaque City neighborhood last week.

“ATI has been placed under preventive suspension pending the conduct of the investigation. It means it  cannot operate,” said Capt. Amado Soliman Jr., head of the CAAP’s aircraft accident investigation inquiry board.

The ATI appeared to have  violated the rules on flight operations, including flying the Beechcraft Queen Air cargo plane without a written lease agreement with the owner of the plane. The CAAP earlier said it found that the aircraft owner, Fidel Hembrador, had no air operator’s certificate  or license to fly.

“The plane looked like it was moonlighting and based on the flight plan, it was using the certificate of ATI,” CAAP director general Ramon Gutierrez said

ATI is a firm leased for aircraft maintenance and hangar arrangements, he added. A further investigation showed that the plane had used ATI’s hangar and repair facilities.

Gutierrez said ATI could face sanctions as its certificate was used in the fateful flight.