On April 26, 2024, the Office of Inspector General received a complaint alleging that Mission Support and Test Services, LLC (MSTS) management at the Remote Sensing Laboratory (RSL) approved the transport of a supplemental pilot from Tennessee to RSL-Joint Base Andrews (RSL-Andrews) using a National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA)-owned aircraft. Additionally, during a subsequent discussion, the complainant also alleged that MSTS did not list the supplemental pilot on the flight manifest.
We initiated this inspection to determine the facts and circumstances regarding the alleged flight concerns at the RSL.
We substantiated the allegation that MSTS management approved the transport of a supplemental pilot from Tennessee to RSL-Andrews using an NNSA-owned aircraft. An NNSA Nevada Field Office official verbally authorized the flight to address a pilot availability issue. However, we questioned whether the supplemental pilot’s role on the flight was needed. In addition, there were differences in understanding by MSTS aviation personnel about how readiness (availability of assets to rapidly respond to incidents) was tracked in the system. Contributing factors for the issues we identified included the lack of: (1) a documented policy on readiness scores and aircraft availability requirements; (2) documented communication between the Nevada Field Office and MSTS officials; and (3) guidance pertaining to NNSA public aircraft operations.
We also substantiated the allegation that the supplemental pilot was not added to the flight manifest. This occurred because of the lack of a formal written RSL policy to verify personnel on flights.
Improving transparency and access to information helps ensure Government aircraft are used solely for official purposes. Accurate flight manifests are also critical for timely responses in aviation emergencies.
We have made five recommendations that, if fully implemented, should help ensure that NNSA-owned aircraft are used for Government purposes and that manifest information is accurate.
