The Volusia County Sheriff’s Office now has a fully staffed helicopter crew after a pilot on paid administrative leave returned to duty and joined four other airmen, including three new hires.
The helicopter fleet, which had been operating with four full-time pilots, was down to one since Aug. 20 when two pilots resigned — one for family reasons and another for a new job.
A fourth pilot, Michael Mankovich, was grounded during a supervisory inquiry. Mankovich is back on duty but the inquiry determined he failed to follow orders and must serve an unpaid 40-hour suspension next month, according to reports.
When the two pilots resigned and Mankovich was placed on leave, the Sheriff’s Office's three Air One helicopters operated with one pilot, Bud Darling II. Although the pilots who resigned in April and early August — Jonathan Egerton and Greg Brooks — stayed on with the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office, flying as needed and as their schedules permitted, the helicopters were not available at times to respond to emergencies and medical calls when Darling was not on duty.
But the fleet, which assists other local police agencies and flies trauma patients to hospitals in addition to Sheriff's Office duties, is available for all flights again.
“Air One is back at full service,” sheriff's spokesman Gary Davidson said recently. “Air One is in service 24/7.”
Newly hired pilots started working with the Sheriff’s Office on Sept. 14 and Sept. 21. A third will began flying for the Sheriff’s Office on Oct. 21, bringing the crew to five fliers, Davidson said.
The hiring of the fifth pilot was prompted by the pilot shortage and was a step taken by Sheriff Ben Johnson to prevent future disruptions, Davidson said.
The aviation unit responded to 1,248 calls in 2014 and through August of this year, has responded to 900 calls, Davidson said.
Mankovich returned to flying Sept. 22, Davidson said. That was the day after the pilot was notified that he was being suspended, according to supervisory inquiry reports obtained through a Daytona Beach News-Journal public records request.
The investigation into Mankovich’s conduct began Aug. 8 after he refused to sign employee performance notices. The notices were the result of Mankovich’s refusal to follow orders regarding his job, reports show.
Documents show that in June Mankovich refused to document preflight inspections, even after being told by his superiors to do so. Mankovich flew 20 shifts and logged no preflight inspections, investigators said.
And in July, Mankovich failed to timely fill out the insurance forms for the agency regarding the helicopter in July and only did so when reminded repeatedly by his superiors, records show.
Source: http://www.news-journalonline.com
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