European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - November 15, 1994, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Tuesday. November 15, 1994 us air rejects times report on violations Arlington a. A Usai defended its safety and training record sunday after the new York times re ported that the airline has repeatedly violated Federal flight  times reported sunday that the airline has allowed jets to leave Gate without enough fuel at least nine times and once used a Jet for 13 Days despite dangerous crack on its Wing Flap. In a statement from company head quarters in Arlington us air said parts of the article were either misleading or incorrect. The Federal aviation administration has kept us air under in tense scrutiny for almost the past two years the Faa knows no shades of Gray when it comes to safety the company said. An airline either operates safely or it is not allowed to Fry. We operate safely and we will continue to do  times which spent two months on its report said it found numerous safety and training problems. It is a fair and accurate Story. I Speaks for itself said Gene Roberts the newspaper s managing  one example the times reported the pilots of a flight from Washington,, to Boston did t Check to see if the plane had enough fuel. When they were forced to land at la Guardia Airport in new York they lied and radioed the control Tower that they had to land be cause of engine trouble the paper , eight other us air flights have left the Gate without the federally require amount of fuel the times added. But takeoffs without sufficient fuel Are impossible because of the Way the aircraft s weight is balanced Usai said. And according to airline officials the emergency Landing at la Guardi awas the Lone instance where personnel deviated from established refuelling procedures. The Pilot and first officer on that flight were suspended without Payfor two months and forced to repeat their training us air spokesman Rich Ard Weintraub said. The airline also noted four new Initia Tives that Are part of its uncompromising approach to safety including Day Long seminars for  the Jet that flew with a damaged Wing us air said that the plane was Al Lowed to continue to Fly in accordance with federally accepted guidelines. Twas later repaired. The times report was based on inter views of airline employees and safety officials and thousands of pages of court files and safety reports Many obtained through the Freedom of . A the investigation followed the sept. 8crash of a us air Boeing 737 near Pitts Burgh International Airport that Kil Ledall 132 aboard. In july a us air Jet crashed in Charlotte n.c., in a Thunder storm killing 37 of 57 people aboard drugstore Chain plans to drop 21 stores Columbus Ohio a drug Emporium inc. Will shed 21 of its stores in Washington ., As part Ofa corporate restructuring. The company which has been re structuring its operations since january 1993, said last week that it will sell seven stores to Melville corp s cd drugstore unit and will close 14 others by March. Five other Washington area stores will not be affected. The Washington Market is one of drug Emporium s largest. The company operates 130 stores and it franchises106 others in More than 25 states. . The stars and stripes Page 9 available in cassette cd and Ems at your local mar audio club  a a. A a. .vv.a-.-. Tibor Rudas presents i concert 1994 f � the Atlantic group Luciano Pavarotti appears Courtesy of the Decca record company limited