Captain-in-training Colin DeBuse, who was flying as an observer with Corr Flight S. (dba Nicholas Air) captain Stacey Lee in October 2019, reported that Lee “engaged in numerous safety violations,” according to the results of a petition for review before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit. After being terminated from his job, DeBuse filed a whistleblower complaint with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) that was initially dismissed, but then upheld on appeal. Corr Flight petitioned for the case to be reviewed, and ultimately the Court of Appeals denied the petition.
Corr Flight hired DeBuse on Oct. 15, 2018, and placed him in an observer role, where he was to fly and observe operations until becoming qualified as a second-in-command or pilot-in-command. He traveled as an observer—technically a passenger on the airplanes because people in that role aren’t allowed to perform any flight duties—during October 2019 with Lee. According to the Fifth Circuit document, “During those flights, DeBuse observed numerous safety issues: Lee did not record mechanical issues in the aircraft’s logbook, Lee left DeBuse alone in the cockpit, and Lee did not ensure that a member of the crew was wearing an oxygen mask.”
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