Waterloo, Iowa: Pilot charged with lying to FAA

A Waterloo pilot has pleaded not guilty to charges he inflated his flight hours when submitting paperwork to the Federal Aviation Administration.

Fahad Nabeel Hussein Al-Daous, 33, appeared Thursday in U.S. District Court in Des Moines after authorities unsealed an indictment charging him with two counts of making false statements to the FAA.

An April trial date was set, and Al-Daous remains free pending trial, said his attorney, J. Keith Rigg.

Al-Daous is a United States citizen and holds dual citizenship with Saudi Arabia, but his first language is Arabic, and an interpreter was on hand during his court appearance.

As part of the conditions of release pending trial, he has to surrender his passport, authorities said.

Al-Daous had taken flying lessons in Waterloo and traveled to the Ottumwa area for check rides, which are in-flight tests.

Court records claim he falsely inflated the number of "pilot in command" flight hours he had completed on an airman certificate or rating application form for pilots and flight instructors while in Wapello County on May 21 and May 27.

FAA records indicate he holds a private pilot license with single-engine aircraft and instrument certificates.

The case was investigated by the FAA and the FBI, according to officials with the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Iowa.

An FAA spokesman was looking into the indictment and had no immediate comment.

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