Robert Edward Olsen v. National Transportation Safety Board

Robert E. Olsen petitions for review of an order by the National Transportation Safety Board affirming the revocation of his airframe and powerplant mechanic certificate. The NTSB had jurisdiction pursuant to 49 U.S.C.App. § 1429(a) over this challenge to the Federal Aviation Administration’s emergency order of revocation. We exercise jurisdiction pursuant to 49 U.S.C.App. § 1486(a) over Olsen’s appeal of the final NTSB order and, because substantial evidence supports the conclusion that Olsen intentionally falsified an aircraft logbook in violation of Federal Aviation Regulation 43.12(a), 14 C.F.R. § 43.12 (a), we deny the petition and affirm.

I.

On November 12, 1990, petitioner Olsen, a certified airframe and powerplant mechanic, assembled and overhauled the engine of his Bellanca Citabria aircraft in Oceanside, California. On that date, Olsen recorded a tachometer reading of “2402:00” in the Citab-ria’s engine log and a reading of “2402” in the aircraft’s general log. Olsen subsequently directed a friend to fly the aircraft from Oceanside to Hemet, California and from Hemet to Palomar, California. Each trip took approximately thirty to thirty-five minutes. The aircraft…