National Air Cargo fined for unsafely loading 747 freighters

The Federal Aviation Administration has proposed a $77,000 civil penalty against the Orlando, Fla. airfreight carrier for failing to safely load cargo on its flights.    The U.S. Transportation Department’s Federal Aviation Administration has proposed a $77,000 civil penalty against National Air Cargo Group of Orlando, Fla., for allegedly failing to safely load and secure heavy cargo on board its Boeing 747 freighter flights.
   The FAA noted during March and April 2013, National failed to comply with federal aviation rules while loading heavy military vehicles onto two 747 freighters that the company operated. The planes were flown on seven flights while loaded with one or more MRAPs (mine resistant ambush protected vehicles), each weighing between 23,001 pounds and 37,884 pounds.
   The agency said National did not comply with the operating limits laid out in the 747s’ flight manuals, “resulting in cargo that was not properly restrained to prevent shifting that could affect the safe operation of the aircraft.”
   On April 29, 2013, one of National’s 747s crashed immediately after takeoff from Bagram Airfield in Afghanistan while loaded with five MRAPs, killing its crew of seven. The FAA alleges that National did not properly secure the vehicles in the plane, and the National Transportation Safety Board is still investigating the cause of the crash.