Metro

Mechanic says he was fired for refusing to sign off on faulty jet

A New Jersey airplane mechanic claims he was fired in January after refusing to sign off on a charter jet with a fuel leak at Teterboro Airport.

Bosses at charter-jet service Pro Pilots LLC didn’t want to hear mechanic Dennis Portalatin’s concerns about the nine-seat Dassault Falcon 20, which had eight “discrepancies,” including a leak in a wing and the fuselage, he charges in New Jersey federal court.

“Let it go,” maintenance director Jim Martin allegedly told Portalatin. “We will get it fixed somewhere else. We have seven passengers we have to take.”

The mechanic, who landed the $90,000-a-year gig in October 2015, reminded his boss that he, not the pilot, had the final say.

“I’m not signing off for a fuel leak,” he said.

A week later, Pro Pilots fired the 47-year-old Portalatin for refusing to “let it go,” he claims.

It’s unclear if Portalatin reported the violations to the FAA. A lawyer for Pro Pilots said the company follows FAA regulations and addresses safety issues but declined to comment on Portalatin’s allegations.