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WASHINGTON -- The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Aviation
Administration (FAA) proposes a $174,600 civil penalty against Mesa Airlines of
Phoenix for allegedly violating federal drug and alcohol testing regulations. The
FAA alleges that Mesa hired six employees for safety-sensitive positions – five
aircraft dispatchers and one quality assurance inspector - but failed to place
them in its random drug and alcohol testing pools. All five dispatchers allegedly
performed safety-sensitive functions while not in the random pools. The
FAA further alleges that Mesa failed to notify the FAA that an employee who
held an FAA mechanic certificate refused to submit to a drug test within the
two‑day period specified in the regulations, and that Mesa used a DOT drug
testing form when conducting a non‑DOT drug test triggered by Mesa’s
determination that an accident occurred when in fact no accident occurred. Additionally,
Mesa contracted for Medical Review Officer (MRO) services, but allegedly failed
to ensure that the contract included a provision requiring the company to transfer
records, including these relating to positive drug test results, to a new MRO
Mesa may hire. Mesa
has 30 days from receiving the FAA’s enforcement letter to respond to the
agency.
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