Investigations

On May 28, 2019, Dr. Robert F. Kurrle, Port Orange, Florida, was charged via information in U.S. District Court, Orlando, Florida, for falsely certifying thousands of commercial and private pilot medical examinations. The information was filed subsequent to a signed plea agreement in which Kurrle admitted to the violations.

 

The investigation revealed that between January 1, 2017, and February 28, 2019, Kurrle performed approximately 3,814 airman medical examinations, earning an estimated $523,740 in fees. He admitted that approximately 75 percent of his examinations were fraudulent and agreed to forfeit 75 percent of his earnings, a total of $392,805. He agreed to pay $48,818.45 to reimburse the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) for the costs associated with retesting pilots.

 

Kurrle also issued medical certificates to airmen who did not pass material portions of their medical examinations. He then transmitted the fraudulent results to FAA, which relied on those results to determine whether the airmen could operate aircraft safely.

 

DOT-OIG and the Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted this investigation with substantial assistance from FAA’s Aeromedical Division.