FAA looks at suspect mechanics

0 Comments | USA TODAY, April, 2008 | by Kevin Johnson and Alan Levin

WASHINGTON -- The Federal Aviation Administration is struggling to resolve 75 of an initial 2,000 cases in which students are suspected of obtaining fraudulent aviation mechanic certificates that helped them secure potentially sensitive jobs throughout the aviation industry.

All but a "handful" have been located, FAA spokeswoman Laura Brown says. She would not elaborate on them or on the status of the other cases. She refused to say how many of the 2,000 students work for commercial air carriers, how many failed retests and how many voluntarily surrendered their certification.

The suspect certificates raised questions within the Department of Transportation and the Office of Special Counsel about the continuing risk to aviation safety, according to documents a...