Arizona Plane Mechanic Indicted Over Inspection

Authorities say a Casa Grande airplane mechanic has been indicted by a federal grand jury for falsely claiming to possess a required Federal Aviation Administration certificate.

Wesley Glen Forsyth has been charged with five felony offenses, all stemming from an inspection he claimed to have performed on a private aircraft last July.

The indictment was returned Tuesday by a grand jury in Phoenix.

It says that the 43-year-old Forsyth worked at a repair and maintenance facility in Casa Grande and he allegedly twice certified that he completed a 100-hour inspection of a privately-owned aircraft and found it to be in airworthy condition.

The indictment says Forsyth held no certification with the FAA.

Authorities say the plane Forsyth inspected crash-landed after its engine quit on August 1 but the pilot escaped injury.

However, FAA safety inspectors believe the plane's fuel pump was not properly inspected.

If convicted, prosecutors say Forsyth faces up to five years in federal prison plus a five of up to $250,000 on each of the five counts.