FAA Requires Certain Pilot Reexaminations

Pilots who received certificates from a certain designated pilot examiner (DPE) in Nevada may need to be reexamined. The FAA released Notice 8900.194 on July 13 to provide guidance to administration inspectors who may need to reexamine pilots whose certificates were approved by Edward Lane of Las Vegas. The notice evolved from an investigation that found “reason to believe that the competency of the airmen examined by DPE Lane from the period of September 2009 to October 2011… is in doubt.” The notice also said, because of evidence gathered during the investigation, the FAA has determined that these airmen will require reexamination of their competency (pursuant with 49 U.S.C. paragraph 44709) to ensure safety in air commerce. The FAA said any affected airmen refusing to surrender their current certificates for cancellation or downgrading after receiving a “44709 notification letter” will find themselves the recipients of enforcement actions. The agency did not release details in the seven-page notice as to what specifically led to the decision about DPE Lane. This FAA action is the second in three months in which a DPE’s check rides have been questioned.

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