California Man Sentenced to Prison for Piloting Private Jets without a Type Rating

[golden hawk]

http://www.flyingmag.com/california-man ... k3NTYxOAS2

California Man Sentenced to Prison for Piloting Private Jets without a Type Rating

The FAA learned he flew paying customers in a Citation and Falcon on a number of occasions without certification.
By Ashley Burns 10 hours ago


A California man was sentenced to 10 months in prison for illegally piloting Cessna Citation and Falcon 10 jets for paying passengers.

On April 27, 2016, Arnold Gerald Leto III was arrested on federal charges of illegally piloting a private airplane from Los Angeles to Las Vegas without a pilot’s license. The Department of Justice and FAA determined that Leto had illegally piloted a number of flights dating back to at least 2015, and he ultimately pleaded guilty to the charges. This week, Leto was sentenced to 10 months in federal prison, and required to pay a $5,500 fine.

In January 2015, Leto took paying passengers from Santa Monica, California, to Phoenix, despite never having received a type rating for a turbojet-powered aircraft. For that trip, he served as the sole pilot of a Cessna Citation. A month later, he received certification to serve as second-in-command on a Citation, but ignored that designation and continued to fly solo. In April 2015, he flew a Citation on two occasions, first from Burbank to Bermuda Dunes, California, and then from Santa Monica to Bentonville, Arkansas.

Leto’s final flight came on April 8, 2016, when he was the sole pilot of a twin-engine Falcon 10 on a trip from Van Nuys Airport in L.A. to Las Vegas, on which there were eight passengers. By this point, the FAA had already revoked what pilot certifications he had. Leto never received a Falcon 10 type rating, which in this case, according to the criminal complaint, requires two pilots.

“Federal regulations governing the operation of aircraft and other common carriers are designed to protect the traveling public,” said U.S. Attorney Eileen M. Decker after Leto’s arrest in 2016. “The investigation into Mr. Leto shows that he flagrantly violated these rules – and continued to do so after the FAA took action to take him out of the air. A swift and thorough investigation by the Department of Transportation has now improved the safety of all air travelers.”

[digits_]

$5500 is cheaper than a CPL and typerating.

[Heliian]

^10 months in jail AND $5500.

[Flybabe]

I believe incidents happen more often than not.

Used to work with a guy that was nabbed by the FAA after landing because he had not renewed his medical. How long he had no medical, I don't know.

[digits_]

^10 months in jail AND $5500.

It takes longer than 10 months to get all the required licenses. Quite a good investment if you think about it

You want to fly a jet, would you want to:
A) Pay 75k dollars and spend 2 years getting the license with a chance of never getting a job
or
B) Hop in, fly the plane, and once you have flown for X years, pay 5500 dollars and go to jail for 10 months

[Spirit]

Poor fella, hope he doesn't drop the soap...

[old_man]

This is meant as a serious question. Can he still log this as PIC even though he wasn't qualified for the flight?

[digits_]

This is meant as a serious question. Can he still log this as PIC even though he wasn't qualified for the flight?

Not really. CARs say you need to be licensed to be PIC.

Nothing says you can't log it, but it won't count towards any transport requirements. unless you find an employer that likes illegal PIC hours

[photofly]

This is meant as a serious question. Can he still log this as PIC even though he wasn't qualified for the flight?

Not really. CARs say you need to be licensed to be PIC.

Well if he wasn't the PIC, then they prosecuted the wrong person - the PIC is always responsible!

[digits_]

This is meant as a serious question. Can he still log this as PIC even though he wasn't qualified for the flight?

Not really. CARs say you need to be licensed to be PIC.

Well if he wasn't the PIC, then they prosecuted the wrong person - the PIC is always responsible!

Nice one. The regulations say that the PIC is responsible for legal/safe/.. flight, but it doesn't say that he/she is the *only* person that is responsible for said flight. It also doesn't specify what to do if there is no PIC (eg nobody on board and there is a towing accident, mechanic malfunction, ..)

Wondering under which regulation they prosecuted him.

[plhought]

Falcon 10? Maybe he thought there was an exception for vintage airplanes???

Yuk yuk yuk he he


Ballsy. I'm sure he's only one of many.

[photofly]

Not really. CARs say you need to be licensed to be PIC.

Well if he wasn't the PIC, then they prosecuted the wrong person - the PIC is always responsible!

Nice one. The regulations say that the PIC is responsible for legal/safe/.. flight, but it doesn't say that he/she is the *only* person that is responsible for said flight. It also doesn't specify what to do if there is no PIC (eg nobody on board and there is a towing accident, mechanic malfunction, ..)

Wondering under which regulation they prosecuted him.

All you have to do is ask:

Charges::
INDICTMENT
49 U.S.C. 46317(a)(1): SERVING AS AN AIRMAN IN AIR TRANSPORTATION WITHOUT AIRMAN CERTIFICATE.

49 U.S.C.
United States Code, 2011 Edition
Title 49 - TRANSPORTATION
SUBTITLE VII - AVIATION PROGRAMS
PART A - AIR COMMERCE AND SAFETY
subpart iv - enforcement and penalties
CHAPTER 463 - PENALTIES
Sec. 46317 - Criminal penalty for pilots operating in air transportation without an airman's certificate
From the U.S. Government Printing Office, www.gpo.gov

§46317. Criminal penalty for pilots operating in air transportation without an airman's certificate
(a) General Criminal Penalty.—An individual shall be fined under title 18 or imprisoned for not more than 3 years, or both, if that individual—
(1) knowingly and willfully serves or attempts to serve in any capacity as an airman operating an aircraft in air transportation without an airman's certificate authorizing the individual to serve in that capacity; or
(2) knowingly and willfully employs for service or uses in any capacity as an airman to operate an aircraft in air transportation an individual who does not have an airman's certificate authorizing the individual to serve in that capacity.

(b) Controlled Substance Criminal Penalty.—
(1) Controlled substances defined.—In this subsection, the term “controlled substance” has the meaning given that term in section 102 of the Comprehensive Drug Abuse Prevention and Control Act of 1970 (21 U.S.C. 802).
(2) Criminal penalty.—An individual violating subsection (a) shall be fined under title 18 or imprisoned for not more than 5 years, or both, if the violation is related to transporting a controlled substance by aircraft or aiding or facilitating a controlled substance violation and that transporting, aiding, or facilitating—
(A) is punishable by death or imprisonment of more than 1 year under a Federal or State law; or
(B) is related to an act punishable by death or imprisonment for more than 1 year under a Federal or State law related to a controlled substance (except a law related to simple possession (as that term is used in section 46306(c)) of a controlled substance).

(3) Terms of imprisonment.—A term of imprisonment imposed under paragraph (2) shall be served in addition to, and not concurrently with, any other term of imprisonment imposed on the individual subject to the imprisonment.
(Added Pub. L. 106–181, title V, §509(a), Apr. 5, 2000, 114 Stat. 141.)
Effective Date

[Canoehead]

Anyone remember the MU2 that went missing after departing Parry Sound years ago?
No Instrument Rating, not endorsed to fly the airplane, and I believe falsely obtained a medical...
So he kills himself and a passenger...

http://www.bst-tsb.gc.ca/eng/rapports-r ... 9o0126.pdf