Frontier mechanic charged with disabling jet
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Frontier mechanic charged with disabling jet
Frontier mechanic charged with disabling jet
Thursday January 2, 8:44 pm ET
By Jeanie Stokes
DENVER, Jan 2 (Reuters) - A Frontier Airlines Inc. (NasdaqNM:FRNT - News) mechanic was charged in federal court in Denver on Thursday with sabotaging a Dallas-bound jet to prevent it from taking off because he thought the aircraft was not safe.
Corydon Van Dyke Cochran, 44, allegedly threw a rubber wheel chock into the running engine of a Boeing 737 after deciding that was the only way to prevent Frontier flight 136 from taking off on New Year's Day.
Cochran, who has been suspended by Frontier pending an investigation, faces up to 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine if convicted, prosecutors said.
According to an affidavit filed with the court by FBI Special Agent Nick Vanicelli, the incident occurred about 12:40 p.m. on New Year's Day as Frontier flight 136 was preparing to depart on a flight to Dallas-Fort Worth.
David Davidson, the pilot of the Boeing 737, was in the cockpit preparing to depart, when he saw Cochran, walk toward the aircraft and throw a wheel chock into the number one engine, which was running, the affidavit said.
Davidson shut down the aircraft, and it was towed back to the gate. A ramp supervisor told the FBI that he also saw Cochran throw the rubber block into the engine.
Cochran had seen a burned-out light on the wing of the jet and was concerned that an inspection that had been done in Tampa the previous day was "probably suspect," Vanicelli told the court.
"Cochran explained that he felt aircraft 313 was unsafe and should have a lightning strike inspection performed on it prior to departing," the affidavit said. "Cochran stated that as the aircraft was being pushed back from the gate, he decided that the only way to keep it from flying was to disable it."
A representative for Cochran, who was released on his own recognizance after the court appearance, could not be immediately reached for comment.
Said Frontier spokeswoman Elise Eberwein, There certainly were other options he probably could have taken to prevent the flight from departing," including notifying the Federal Aviation Administration.
The plane had been inspected twice in Tampa on Tuesday night, flown uneventfully to Denver and had been checked out again there for possible damage, Eberwein said.
After the alleged incident, a wheel chock, about two feet long, was removed from the engine during overnight repairs and the plane put back in service.
The 130 passengers aboard the flight were sent on to Dallas on another airplane, Eberwein said.
http://biz.yahoo.com/rc/030102/airlines_frontier_1.html
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This should be an interesting story to follow, to see what unfolds.
Thursday January 2, 8:44 pm ET
By Jeanie Stokes
DENVER, Jan 2 (Reuters) - A Frontier Airlines Inc. (NasdaqNM:FRNT - News) mechanic was charged in federal court in Denver on Thursday with sabotaging a Dallas-bound jet to prevent it from taking off because he thought the aircraft was not safe.
Corydon Van Dyke Cochran, 44, allegedly threw a rubber wheel chock into the running engine of a Boeing 737 after deciding that was the only way to prevent Frontier flight 136 from taking off on New Year's Day.
Cochran, who has been suspended by Frontier pending an investigation, faces up to 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine if convicted, prosecutors said.
According to an affidavit filed with the court by FBI Special Agent Nick Vanicelli, the incident occurred about 12:40 p.m. on New Year's Day as Frontier flight 136 was preparing to depart on a flight to Dallas-Fort Worth.
David Davidson, the pilot of the Boeing 737, was in the cockpit preparing to depart, when he saw Cochran, walk toward the aircraft and throw a wheel chock into the number one engine, which was running, the affidavit said.
Davidson shut down the aircraft, and it was towed back to the gate. A ramp supervisor told the FBI that he also saw Cochran throw the rubber block into the engine.
Cochran had seen a burned-out light on the wing of the jet and was concerned that an inspection that had been done in Tampa the previous day was "probably suspect," Vanicelli told the court.
"Cochran explained that he felt aircraft 313 was unsafe and should have a lightning strike inspection performed on it prior to departing," the affidavit said. "Cochran stated that as the aircraft was being pushed back from the gate, he decided that the only way to keep it from flying was to disable it."
A representative for Cochran, who was released on his own recognizance after the court appearance, could not be immediately reached for comment.
Said Frontier spokeswoman Elise Eberwein, There certainly were other options he probably could have taken to prevent the flight from departing," including notifying the Federal Aviation Administration.
The plane had been inspected twice in Tampa on Tuesday night, flown uneventfully to Denver and had been checked out again there for possible damage, Eberwein said.
After the alleged incident, a wheel chock, about two feet long, was removed from the engine during overnight repairs and the plane put back in service.
The 130 passengers aboard the flight were sent on to Dallas on another airplane, Eberwein said.
http://biz.yahoo.com/rc/030102/airlines_frontier_1.html
==============================================
This should be an interesting story to follow, to see what unfolds.
Pilots' Pal
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Shades of Nevil Shute's "No Highway". One shouldn't speculate but...
Chances are that this particular aircraft had no major problem but the individual may have been frustrated that previous concerns may not have been taken seriously.
Or...maybe he was just silly. Unfortunately, whatever his concerns, his actions amount to endangering the aircraft and its occupants.
Chances are that this particular aircraft had no major problem but the individual may have been frustrated that previous concerns may not have been taken seriously.
Or...maybe he was just silly. Unfortunately, whatever his concerns, his actions amount to endangering the aircraft and its occupants.
Again no inside knowledge but I think bus is probably right. Sounds like somebody with valid concerns not being listened to went over the top and did something excessive.
One hopes that appropriate action would be along the lines suspension, concurrent with a thorough investigation into the course of events that led to it. I can't imagine any technician doing something so drastic without something fairly serious having led to it.
G
One hopes that appropriate action would be along the lines suspension, concurrent with a thorough investigation into the course of events that led to it. I can't imagine any technician doing something so drastic without something fairly serious having led to it.
G
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If he didn't realise that a lamp filament can be working one minute and burned the next time it's activated, he's no kind of mechanic at all. Best place for him would be as far away from the flightline as possible.
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I've seen some questionable things in my day, but there are ways of stopping a plane from leaving, all legal ways, and ways that may make you out to be the hero if you do find something wrong. sabatoge is not the prefered way, and not with a large airline. I could see a small operator trying to strong arm an engineer into signing out shoddy or unservicable aircraft just to make it to the next major inspection. I just think this guy is a lose cannon, and would never want to see him in our industry.
