Co-Pilot Was Under Investigation

The co-pilot of TWA Flight 800 was under investigation by the Federal Aviation Administration for landing a plane that was over the maximum landing weight, an FAA official said Thursday.

Capt. Ralph Kevorkian, 58, of Garden Grove, Calif., was one of 230 people to die Wednesday in the explosion off the Long Island coast.

The Federal Aviation Administration was considering suspending Kevorkian’s license for 30 days after a May 10 incident in which he landed a TWA L-1011, three-engine jumbo jet in St. Louis with too much fuel.

Kevorkian had loaded the plane with extra fuel for the trip from Los Angeles, anticipating that he would be stuck in a holding pattern in St. Louis, forced to circle the area before landing, according to the FAA official, who spoke on condition of anonymity.

In fact, he was able to land right away, and the extra fuel put the plane’s weight above the maximum allowed.

FAA rules allow planes to weigh more on takeoff than on landing, when there is a significant amount of stress put on the aircraft.

Kevorkian should have rejected the chance to land right away and burned off more fuel before landing, the official said.

The case had not yet been decided.