Skydive center fined for unsafe AC

[moxiepilot]

http://cbs13.com/local/lodi.skydiving.fine.2.1961735.html

LODI, Calif. (CBS13) ―


A Lodi skydiving company has been fined hundreds of thousands of dollars by the FAA for sending customers on flight with faulty equipment.

The Federal Aviation Administration fined the Parachute Center in Lodi and its owner, Bill Dause, more than $600,000 for flying thousands of parachutists in an unsafe aircraft.

Investigators say the plane, a DHC-6 Twin Otter, had faulty cables that help the plane take off, maneuver and land.

From March 2008 to November 2009, the plan conducted more than 2,600 flights in the allegedly unsafe aircraft.

The plane has been grounded, but the company continues to fly with other planes. Dause declined to comment to CBS13.

The FAA says Dause has the opportunity to appeal the fine.

 

[Okie_Pilot]

Ahh come on!! They're wearing wearing parachutes for crying out loud!












------>

 

[EIR]

Is there an AD that the owner didn't comply with?

 

[aviatorsneah]

don't know much about twin otter AD's but i had read somewhere they also failed to do necessary inspections for corrosion in the wing spars.

 

[upup89]

Ive seen some pretty rough skydive aircraft out there so I have to wonder what this thing looks like.

 

[z987k]

I was in Lodi the other day. Actually been on one of their otters. Lodi is an interesting dz. You come in, pay, get a number and get your ass on the airplane when your number is up. Tandems are very impersonal. It's basically the same procedure. OTOH, they do a LOT of jumps a day. The typical TI can get like 20+ jumps a day. You should not be a new jumper though, and a good canopy pilot. There are no outs... well grape fields and a highway. :laff:

I am not surprised though.

 

[Mike H]

how much does a twin otter cost, anyway?

 

[Ollie]

That's pretty wild. My first jump ever was a tandem with Bill Dause from that exact airplane in 1999.

 

[zmiller4]

The Lodi operation always struck me as incredibly sketchy. We always told our students to give that place a wide berth.

 

[Roger, Roger]

Skydive operation with sketchy aircraft? Say it ain't so!

 

[jrh]

Most of the jumpers on Dropzone.com are calling Dause/Lodi a pretty sleezy guy/place.

I dunno. I've never been there. But when this many people are in agreement, the DZ probably had it coming.

 

[stesta5074]

'Chute happens!

 

[moxiepilot]

usually when I;ve had too much coffee in the morning

 

[Inverted]

That's pretty wild. My first jump ever was a tandem with Bill Dause from that exact airplane in 1999.

Me too I went in 2001. I fly people there to skydive all the time, its sketchy lol.

 

[ChasenSFO]

That's the place on of my best friends jumps from all the time, I was planning on jumping there with him myself soon.

 

[z987k]

how much does a twin otter cost, anyway?

I think you can get an old flying one for in the 2mil range.

 

[Bumblebee]

That's the place on of my best friends jumps from all the time, I was planning on jumping there with him myself soon.

My friend, who is a CP at another DZ in SOCal told me to stay clear of there...so I have

 

[z987k]

My friend, who is a CP at another DZ in SOCal told me to stay clear of there...so I have

CP at a dz :rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:

I should put that on my resume.

 

[Bumblebee]

CP at a dz :rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:

I should put that on my resume.

hey someone has to hire people .... (BTW he is a captain at an airline and a tanker pilot)

 

[z987k]

hey someone has to hire people .... (BTW he is a captain at an airline and a tanker pilot)

Must be the most professional and largest dz in the world. CP at a dz, that still has me laughing.