
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: THURSDAY, March 21, 1991                   TAG: 9103210091
SECTION: BUSINESS                    PAGE: B5   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: 
DATELINE: NEW YORK                                LENGTH: Short

EASTERN GUILTY OF SAFETY VIOLATIONS

Eastern Airlines pleaded guilty Wednesday and was fined $3.5 million for trying to block a federal probe into its maintenance practices and other safety-related crimes.

In the agreement between federal prosecutors and Eastern bankruptcy trustee Martin R. Shugrue Jr., the airline admitted participating in the conspiracy and six counts of falsifying work records on its fleet of jetliners. Fifty-three additional charges that were filed against the airline last summer in U.S. District Court were dismissed.

Eastern also said it falsified records to make it appear maintenance work had been done on landing gears, wing flaps, fuel filters and other vital aircraft parts. There is no evidence the lack of maintenance resulted in any accidents or other operational problems. Eastern shut down operations in January and is liquidating its assets. - Associated Press

by CNB