Business ProfileforGuardian Aero Services

To : BBB From : ******************** ********************High School Student & Student Pilot **** ******** ***, Arlington VA ***** ***************@*****.com +1 *** *** **** ****** ***- ******* Complain about Misconduct of Aircraft Mechanic Dear Sir, Re: Complain about Mechanics misconduct and seek assistance Complaining about Mechanics : 1. Guardian Aero Services LLC FAA Certificate Number: ******* ****** **** ******* **, Hangar * , Gaithersburg Maryland, ***** 2. ***** Aviation Inc *** Repair Station : ******** **** ***** ******** ***** , Burlington, NC ***** I hope this mail finds you well. I write to you today with a heavy heart and a desperate plea for your assistance in rectifying a series of devastating events that have shattered my lifelong dream of becoming a pilot. I am reaching out to you not only for personal resolution but also to shed light on the unscrupulous practices that have severely impacted my journey and could potentially jeopardize the dreams of countless others. My harrowing experience centers around two aviation companies, Guardian Aero Services LLC (Maryland ) and ***** ******** Inc (North Carolina ) , whose actions have not only failed to fulfill their promises but have caused irreparable damage to my aspirations. The culmination of their disregard for professional ethics and the dream I held so dearly has left me emotionally devastated and financially drained. When I initially approached Guardian Aero Services on June 6th, 2022, I believed I had found a reliable partner who would help me navigate the intricacies of aircraft ownership and support me in achieving my dream. I entrusted them with my hard-earned savings, which I diligently saved from working long hours after school at ***. With great hope and excitement, I purchased a ****** ***, placing my dreams in their hands. Tragically, my trust was misplaced, when I did 100 hours inspection at Guardian Aero Services LLC , due to rock hit my properly during training at KGAI, Guardian Aero Services informed me that the propeller was unairworthy and shipped it to ***** ******** in North Carolina for repairs on June 9th 2022. They assured me that the process would take 4-8 weeks, and I eagerly anticipated getting back in the sky to pursue my pilot ratings. Despite being assured that the engine overhaul would cost a maximum of $4,000 to $5,000, I was presented with an exorbitant invoice of $18,000 upon completion of the job from ***** ******** Inc by ****** ****** who is the president of the company, and who have lied to me in multiple occasions. However, the nightmare had only just begun. ***** ******** Inc and Guardian Aero Services LLC, after collecting more then $30,000 (Thirty) thousand from insurance, shocked me with an invoice for the engine overhaul that far exceeded the initial estimate , and additionally we had to pay more then $18,000 (Eighteen ) Thousand Dollars out of pocket. The president of the company, ****** ******, even resorted to threats, indicating that if I did not pay the exorbitant amount, he would sell my engine, effectively crushing my dreams. The financial burden was devastating, but the emotional toll was even more severe. I worked tirelessly at ***, putting in long hours after school, and sought help from my relatives to gather the necessary funds to reclaim my engine. It was a race against time, as I knew that every passing day meant further delay in realizing my dream. Eventually, I managed to secure the money and retrieve my engine. Hope flickered within me as I believed that the worst was behind me, only to have it cruelly extinguished by Guardian Aero Services LLC. ***** ******** Inc eventually shipped the overhauled engine to Guardian Aero Service LLC, who installed the Engine incorrectly and due to that fact the engine failed and became unairworthy. Right after installation within 2-3 hours of flight, the Oil was leaking and I was losing 1-2 qrts of oil per 2 hours flight, and the Vacuum Pump was damaged due to faulty installation. Despite three attempts to fix the oil leak and address other issues arising from their improper installation, they not only failed to rectify the problems but also callously voided my warranty. The oil was leaking right after engine overhauled , and when we address the issue to Guardian Aero Services, she told us it is residual, however after 2 hours of flight we lost almost 2 qrts of oil and she told us to bring it back and she would fix it, we brought it back after 2 weeks she told us it was fixed, and then we flew another 2 hours, which was stealing leaking more than 2 qrts of oil this time, she said she will fix it again and it is not dangerous to keep fly by adding oil. 1. After the 3rd attempt to fix Oil leak by Guardian Aero Services LLC , They voided the warranty and told me that I should have flown after 48 hours after trying to fix the engine but I flew after 46 hours. Lena Gaffney is the Owner of Guardian Aero Services LLC and she was working on my airplane, Who apparently was tracking me all the time. The moment I flew in 46 hours she told me the warranty is void which means she was looking for my mistake to ensure she would find a fault. Otherwise, she has my phone and email, why could she not call me and tell me. When I approached **** ****** to explain to her the situation before voiding my warranty, she was very argumentative with me and she even engaged into personal and told me that if I become a pilot, I will blow up something indicating my ****** name and profiling me, which made me very upset. 2. My heart sank deeper when I discovered that Guardian Aero Services had broken the vacuum pump pulley during the engine reinstallation, resulting in the loss of avionics during my first solo flight in the traffic pattern on December 13th 2023. I beseeched them to fix the vacuum pump, only to be met with further hostility and blackmail. They demanded that I provide the replacement pulley myself, upon which I provided them and I had no idea she had an intention of framing me, and moreover she threatened to report me to the FAA , because I left a public review about their conduct online. This unwarranted behavior, compounded by the destruction of my avionics and the manipulation of my passion, crushed my spirit. 3. Guardian Aero Services LLC is the company who installed the whole engine and its components and we have never done anything, but she was the one who received payment from Insurance company and we paid additional fees out of pocket, including she was the one who installed the Pulley which is attached to Crankshaft and that rotates vacuum pump, however she reported to FAA that we have installed that pulley, and this is absurd, because she was the one who installed the whole engine, the propeller and every other parts, because that pulley is behind the Propeller , and during the installation of this pulley she installed it with fault and it was lose (report is attached), and that in turn made the Crankshaft unairworthy, that I am not paying out of pocket to ***** ******** INC who deemed it unairworthy and trying to fix it now. In addition to it, when another mechanic reviewed the aircraft logbooks, he discovered that Gaudian Aero Services LLC did not write in the Logbooks that she is the one who installed the Vacuum Pump and Vacuum Pump Pulley and the Pulley which goes behind the propeller, by doing so Guardian Aero Services LLC have violated FAR Rules and Regulations as she did not stated the work she has done to Pulley of Vacuum pump and the Vacuum pump itself. 4. On January 16, 2023 we brought back the airplane ***** ******** Inc, as we thought they could repair under warranty, however when they did inspection, they charged us a lot of money, and they charged for all the discrepancies that Guardian Aero Services LLC have made and we paid for those discrepancies, those discrepancies are clearly stated in the invoice and report attached to this document, a) Guardian Aero Services LLC have installed “Tailpipe on Exhaust Backwards”, which in turn lead for Cessna 172F to fly with reduced power, and with possibility of losing engine in the Air, b) They have installed Incorrect intake duct on carb heat, which was damaged and collapsed after 2-3 hours of flight time, c) They have damaged the Taxi lights and Landing lights , d) NLG STRUT that they have told us they have serviced and charged us money for this, however they have not performed proper work on it, e) They have installed Pulley (behind the Propeller) loosely so that it was creating lot of heat on the crankshaft and according to ***** ******** Inc Mechanic , was dangerous and could have very severe pubic safety concerns. 5. Upon discussion with ***** ******** Inc, they told us they would first need to inspect the Crankshaft and determine if this Crankshaft could be repaired, and it was our agreement that upon inspection they would let us know if the Crankshaft was airworthy or nothing was wrong with the Crankshaft, however ***** ******** Inc, did not inform us any such inspection and they told us there will be no report nothing, and ** ****** ******* told me, that when the plane is ready whenever it is ready, he will write on the Engine Logbooks with regards to Crankshaft, which makes me to believe that *** ****** ******* is not trustworthy mechanic, who acted based on deception and defrauded me, because he grounded the airplane, that he knew I could not take it to any other mechanic and he conducted his job, and now he is trying to destroy all the evidence, because then he would be liable to unnecessary grounding of airplane and the cost involved with it. Initially, ** ****** ******* and *** ***** ******* told me that the crankshaft Damage repair and re-installation of airplane would be between 4-8 weeks, however now it has been 6-Months, that I do not have any updates regarding the Airplane or its conditions. A) When I have been contacting ********* ******* for the past 2-3 months he tell me different story, and when I call *** ***** ******* he tells me different story, according to ** ****** ******* the Airplane was damaged and apparently he will send very huge bill for me, I do not know why *** ****** ******* is that greedy , however it is apparent that he is a Scammer and Fraudulent individual, who gives different estimates and at the end who charges 5-6 times more than what he needs to pay. B) When I called *** ****** *******, the only thing 3 month ago he told me He does not know when my plane will be ready C) when I have contacted him through Email requesting an update about my airplane, he told me in multiple occasions “QUIT EMAILING ME” , D) When I call his office, he never picks up the call , E) When I call *** ***** ******* and request and update about my airplane , he told me that he (Grant) received and instruction from his boss , Who is *** ****** ******* not to talk to me and not to give me any information, I am suspecting because Mr. Othman have been in various lawsuits for the past several years, he is afraid that it could go against him in a court of law, and he assumes I am going to sue him, for which I don’t even have money for legal fees. 6. *** ****** ******* and his company is now not communicating with me, and I am pretty sure he is covering all the evidence and changing reports, which would suit him in leu of legal action against his company, also Mr. a) Othman Rasheed misrepresenting the facts about the aircraft parts and conditions which in violation of FAA regulations, b ) *** ****** ******* denying access to my airplane and by doing so he is violating my property rights, c) Mr. Othman is not providing me any information with regards to any condition of my Property, which is turn is clear violation of Consumer rights, *** ****** ******* did not honor the Warranty he has given, as he always tries to find a fault and discrepancy in order not to honor the Warranty he has given, which is another FAR violation, and that in fact, can be just learn by ******, where ** ****** ******* has been sued multiple time in the past few year for Breach of Contract, and causing public danger with faulty repairs as well. At this juncture, I found myself emotionally shattered, mentally exhausted, and devoid of hope. These corporations and affluent individuals have not only sabotaged my dream but have also caused immeasurable emotional distress and inflicted significant financial burden upon me. Their actions epitomize a system that favors profit over passion and disregards the dreams of individuals like myself. I stand before you today, not only as an individual seeking assistance but as a beacon of hope for those who share the dream of becoming pilots. My spirit may be wounded, but my resolve to fight against such callous disregard remains steadfast. I implore you, BBB to recognize the gravity of this situation and take decisive action to prevent others from enduring similar heartbreak. Although I am unable to afford legal representation, I am prepared to provide any documentation necessary to support an investigation into the practices of Guardian Aero Services LLC and ***** ******** Inc. This includes invoices, reports, and correspondence, which serve as a testament to the injustices inflicted upon me. At this point it’s not about the money or the airplane anymore, it’s about my dreams. These corporations and rich people killed my dream which I tried my best to keep it alive for a long time patiently. ***** ******** Inc and ****** ****** promised us that this inspection would take 4-8 weeks but we waited for 5 months. Now the Engine is ready to be installed back to the airplane and I try to call them everyday and ****** ****** told me QUIT emailing him and don’t call him and he does not want to talk to me. This is a very upset situation and the worst customer service I have ever received. He is not even telling me where he sent the camshaft for inspection and refusing to give me a report so I know what I will be paying for hopefully after making the funds available. I do not want any pilot to experience what I have experienced and I would like to protect the dreams of those who have a dream of becoming a pilot in the future. I beseech you,BBB, to lend your expertise, guidance, and support in navigating the treacherous waters I find myself in. Your intervention, whether through connecting me with resources, providing advice, or raising awareness within the aviation community, can make a profound difference not only in salvaging my dream but also in safeguarding the aspirations of future aviators. Please understand that my intention is not simply to seek redress for my own circumstances but to shed light on the systemic issues that enable unscrupulous practices to persist. Together, we can forge a path towards a fairer, more transparent, and supportive aviation industry that nurtures the dreams of countless individuals. Thank you for your time, consideration, and unwavering dedication to upholding the best interests of pilots and aviation enthusiasts. I eagerly await your response and the opportunity to work collaboratively in addressing this pressing matter. With sincere hope and heartfelt gratitude, ******************** -***-05/29/2023