The FCC proposed a more than $200,000
penalty against Aura Holdings of Wisconsin, Inc. for apparently not
being honest about the true owner of several towers.
Aura apparently submitted false and
misleading information in 10 different change in ownership applications
using the Commission’s Antenna Structure Registration (ASR) system,
according to the FCC. Aura is a privately-owned holding company,
incorporated in 2016; it also apparently made a false statement to a
Commission employee, claiming the company owned a tower that it did not
own, according to the agency.
Tower owners must register with the
FCC, any tower subject to the FAA’s notification requirements because of
the structure’s potential danger to air navigation. Specifically, any
new tower built over 200 feet in height above ground level must be
registered.
In December 2016, a pilot complained
to the Commission’s Operations Center about an unlit tower, ASR 1200329,
in Footville, WI. The Operations Center couldn’t reach the listed
owner, Puri, LLC, and contacted the FAA. The FAA then issued a Notice to
Airmen, warning pilots of the hazard. The Ops Center forwarded the
pilot’s complaint to the Chicago Field Office of the Commission’s
Enforcement Bureau, which initiated an investigation. The bureau field
agent also tried unsuccessfully to contact Puri. The field agent also
went to the tower site and verified that neither the daytime nor the
nighttime lights were operational. Continue Reading
No comments:
Post a Comment