David Esteves, 52, who was director of maintenance at the now-defunct Avantair fractional-ownership company, pleaded guilty on Friday in a federal court to charges that he tampered with evidence during investigations by the FAA and NTSB. Both agencies were looking into why an Avanti turboprop crew flew from California to Nevada, with passengers on board, with the left tail elevator missing. The flight landed safely and nobody was hurt. Federal authorities charged that Esteves asked an aviation maintenance contractor in Las Vegas to cover up evidence, according to the Tampa Bay Times.
This is a companion discussion topic for the original entry at https://www.avweb.com/recent-updates/business-military/avantair-maintenance-director-pleads-guilty