Florida aviation firm fined for violation in Coast Guard aircraft repairs

Sherwood Avionics and Accessories, Inc., a Florida-based aviation maintenance and manufacturing company, has agreed to pay $109,618 to settle allegations that it violated the False Claims Act by failing to adhere to contractual requirements for repairing U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) aircraft. The U.S. Attorney's Office, Southern District of Florida, announced the settlement in a press statement on Tuesday.

The company, which provides in-house aviation maintenance, repair, and overhaul services, entered a contract with the USCG in September 2016 to perform repair and overhaul work on landing gear components of C-130H and C-130J aircraft. These aircraft are critical to the USCG’s operations, supporting missions such as search and rescue, law enforcement, and disaster response.

Between September 2017 and September 2021, Sherwood allegedly failed to obtain and use the most current U.S. Air Force Technical Orders (TOs) required under the contract. Technical Orders are official guidelines that outline mandatory procedures for safe and proper aircraft repairs. By not following updated TOs, the company potentially compromised the safety and compliance of the maintenance work performed on the USCG’s landing gear systems.

The U.S. Coast Guard Investigative Service, Southeast Region, investigated the matter, with assistance from the Department of Transportation Office of Inspector General and the Defense Criminal Investigative Service. The probe determined that Sherwood’s actions constituted a breach of contract terms and subjected the government to potential risks by using outdated repair protocols.