FORT WORTH – The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has proposed to assess a $260,000 civil penalty against ERA Helicopters Inc., of Lake Charles, LA, for failing to perform test flights and other required checks before returning an aircraft to passenger service.

The FAA alleges that in February 2009, ERA replaced a part known as a lag damper in the rotor system of one of its helicopters. Afterward, ERA operated the aircraft on 23 passenger-carrying flights without performing tests to ensure the work had been done properly, violating a number of Federal Aviation Regulations.

ERA has 30 days from the receipt of the FAA’s enforcement letter to respond to the agency.