June 29, 2010 - The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is proposing a $450,000 civil penalty against Dassault Falcon Jet Corp. and its completion center in Little Rock, Ark., for improperly plating certain parts and installing them on airplanes. Installation of improperly plated parts made the aircraft not compliant with Federal Aviation Regulations. 

The FAA alleges that after receiving a warning notice on this issue in January 2008, Dassault Falcon approved 18 airplanes for return to service between March 2008 and April 2009.

Those aircraft were outfitted with hundreds of parts electroplated by the company or its contractors, but the companies did not have the required FAA rating to perform such work. The electroplated parts included both decorative pieces and structural parts. 

Electroplating uses electric current to deposit a thin coating of precious metal on the base metal of a particular part. Because of the precision and quality required, repair stations or their contractors must have a specialized service rating to perform the work.

Dassault Falcon Jet Corporation engages in selling and supporting business jets manufactured by its parent company, Dassault Aviation. The company also provides avionics, engine, and aircraft support services, including maintenance, repair, and overhauling. It sells its products to private, corporate, federal, and military customers in the United States and internationally. The company has locations in Little Ferry, New Jersey, Little Rock, Wilmington, and Teterboro.