Systematic Aviation Services (Kuala Lumpur Subang) (SAS) has denied reports its Cessna (single turboprop) 208EX seaplane was repossessed after failing to carry out necessary maintenance. A report by local news site FreeMalaysiaToday said the aircraft's owner, Oriental Sky Sdn Bhd, entered the SAS hangar on July 17 and seized 9M-ORS (msn 208B5751). In a July 26 media statement, SAS says this is incorrect.

"We want to assure all stakeholders and the public that there has been no such acquisition or seizure," the SAS statement reads.

The aircraft had reportedly been experiencing ongoing problems with its fuel quantity indication system, but SAS's only 208EX-qualified engineer left the company several months ago and had not been replaced. An unnamed source told the newspaper that SAS made excuses about the repair delays and never said it was because they lacked a suitably certified engineer.

"We would like to clarify that the aircraft experienced a minor defect during one of its recent flights, which is still under warranty," the statement added. "Consequently, Oriental Sky and SAS have decided to send the aircraft to the OEM manufacturer's service centre in Singapore (Textron) on a warranty claim for further inspection. It was a planned flight coordinated among Textron, Oriental Sky, and SAS, and there was no issue of repossession of the aircraft."

SAS only acquired the aircraft earlier this year after inking a deal with Malaysian property developer Ikhasas Sdn Bhd via its subsidiary company, Oriental Sky Sdn Bhd, to ferry passengers between Kuala Lumpur and an Ikhasas-developed resort on the Perhentian Islands off Malaysia's east coast.

Systematic Aviation Services has a 30-year-plus history as a local MRO provider for government and privately-owned rotary and fixed-wing aircraft. However, authorities put a wrinkle in its charter operation ambitions when the Malaysian Aviation Commission (Mavcom) decided not to renew its passenger charter operator's air service permit (ASP) in late February, reportedly because SAS had failed to meet certain regulatory requirements. The Civil Aviation Authority of Malaysia (CAAM) followed suit and suspended the carrier's AOC in mid-March for 90 days. Consequently, had 9M-ORS been operational, SAS could not have flown it.

"The aircraft has been flown to Singapore Seletar Airport," the source said. "It needs to be repaired under warranty at Textron Singapore. However, the aircraft is under the Malaysian registry, so it needs a Malaysian LAE with a rating to certify the completion of the work. Oriental Sky is in the process of looking for one."

ch-aviation has contacted Systematic Aviation Services and Oriental Sky Bridge for comment.