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Washington Headquarters Press Release

For Immediate Release
June 4, 2010

FAA Proposes Civil Penalties Against Airlines, Shippers

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has proposed to assess civil penalties ranging from $50,000 to $150,000 against two airlines and three shippers for alleged violations of Federal Aviation Regulations or U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) Hazardous Materials Regulations. The proposed penalties include:

• $150,000 against Lion Mentari Airlines of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, for allegedly shipping a chemical oxygen generator inside an unmarked metal case from Kuala Lumpur to Dallas. DOT classifies chemical oxygen generators as a hazardous material, and they may not be shipped on passenger-carrying aircraft.
• $53,000 against Stewart & Stevenson, LLC, of Houston, for allegedly shipping a box containing eight gallons of touch-up paint to FedEx Corp. for transportation by air when the package was not properly identified as containing hazardous materials and was not accompanied by the appropriate documentation. DOT classifies flammable materials as hazardous. The case has been settled
• $121,000 against Trans States Airlines, Bridgeton, MO, for allegedly operating four flights from Norfolk, VA to Miami on September 2, Oct. 6, 18 and 20, 2008, that flew more than 50 nautical miles from the nearest U.S. shoreline. The FAA alleges the aircraft used did not carry required equipment for extended overwater operations, including life preservers, life rafts with a locator light for each occupant, a pyrotechnic signaling device for each life raft, an emergency locator transmitter, and survival kit attached to each raft.
• $70,000 against Shanghai Fountainhead Electronics Co., Ltd., of Shanghai, for allegedly violating DOT hazardous materials regulations by offering 12 boxes of lithium-ion phosphate rechargeable batteries for shipment by air to the U.S. aboard a passenger-carrying aircraft, which is prohibited. The case has been settled
• $50,000 against SOSGlobal Express of New Bern, NC, for violating DOT hazardous materials regulations by allegedly offering 15 boxes of lithium-ion batteries for shipment by air aboard a passenger-carrying aircraft, which is prohibited.

The companies have 30 days from the date the civil penalty letter is received to respond to the agency.