A 52-year-old man pleaded guilty to rigging the search of a plane that crashed in Pearland.

HOUSTON — A 52-year-old Pearland man pleaded guilty to making false statements to an aircraft maintenance log, US Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani said Wednesday.

Ronald P. Franklin admitted that around October 9, 2020, he knowingly and deliberately falsified annual aircraft inspection reports. Franklin fraudulently posed as an Inspection Authorization (IA) holder and falsely confirmed that he had conducted an annual inspection of the aircraft and determined that it was in airworthy condition.

The aircraft subsequently experienced a loss of power in flight, causing it to crash.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) regulates domestic aircraft and air travel, and they require most U.S.-registered general aviation aircraft to undergo annual inspections to ensure they are airworthy, which must be performed by an FAA-certified mechanic.

Following an annual review, FAA regulations require that the owner of an IA make an entry in the aircraft’s logbook confirming that the review was properly conducted and that the information provided is true and correct. IA owners must certify each annual inspection they conduct using their unique FAA certification number.

According to officials, Franklin was not an IA holder and did not conduct a background check, as he falsely claimed.

U.S. District Judge Keith P. Ellison accepted the application and will sentence Franklin on May 24. Franklin faces up to five years in federal prison, as well as a possible maximum fine of $250,000.

Franklin was allowed to remain on bail until the hearing.

Department of Transport – General Inspectorate conducted an investigation. The case is being handled by Assistant US Attorneys Christian Latham and Jay Heilman.