Michael Brassington, president, CEO and cofounder of now-defunct Platinum Jet Management, and his brother Paul Brassington, a v-p and cofounder, were convicted on November 15 of “offenses arising from a conspiracy to commit continuous willful violations of regulatory requirements for the operation of commercial charter aircraft.” The jury verdict against the Brassingtons came after nearly four days of deliberations following a four-week trial in U.S. District Court in Newark, N.J. The brothers were each convicted of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and to defraud the FAA.
In addition, Michael Brassington was convicted of six counts of rendering false statements in relation to FAA-required paperwork to conceal the fact that ill-qualified or unrested pilots were flying charter flights. He was also convicted of lying in an NTSB accident report and endangering the safety of an aircraft in flight.
The charges against the Brassingtons were related to the 2005 crash on takeoff at Teterboro Airport of a Challenger 600 operated by Platinum Jet. The aircraft failed to become airborne and crossed a highway, hitting cars along the way before slamming into the side of the Strawberry clothing warehouse, where it burst into flames. Eight passengers, a “cabin aide” and pilots John Kimberling and Carlos Salaverria escaped with minor injuries. Two people in a passing car were injured and required hospitalization.
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