Safety Problems Known Before Chalk’s Crash

Pilots at Chalks Airways were worried about the safety of the aircraft they were flying long before one of them crashed into the ocean a year ago killing all on board, according to a report in The Miami Herald. In November 2004, an aircraft climbing out of Nassau Harbor experienced the snap of the cable controlling pitch. While the aircraft landed safety, the pilot left to join another airline along with two other pilots who both cited near misses and the company’s “miserly approach to maintenance of its half century old fleet.” Indeed, the National Transportation Safety Board wants aging aircraft rules to encompass these aircraft. While the board has yet to file a decision in the Chalk’s crash into Miami Harbor, it immediately noted the fatigue crack when the separated wing was lifted from the water where 18 people were killed. When Capt. Eric Weber went to work for Chalk's in April 2001, he was impressed with the company's maintenance program, which included 12 mechanics, but, by late 2004, it only had half the mechanics which were reporting that they were not allowed to buy replacement parts at the cash-strapped airline. More