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YELLOW SHEET Office of the State Auditor of Missouri |
April 2, 2003
Report No. 2003-28
State's passenger plane fleet is too large, not suited to state flight needs and run by four agencies, which creates costly inefficiencies and inconsistent flight practices
This audit examined flights of the state's eight passenger planes operated by the Office of Administration (OA), Missouri State Highway Patrol, Department of Transportation (MoDOT), and the Department of Conservation. �The main analyses included, but were not limited to, flights fromJanuary 1999 through December 2001 and reviewed plane use, costs, passengers, flight purposes, and payments of flight costs.
Passenger plane fleet rarely fully used
During 2001, the four plane-operating agencies never used all eight state-owned planes in the same day. �On 85 percent of the 279 flight days, five or fewer planes flew in a day. �On the thirteen days where the state used more than six planes in one day, agencies chartered planes for the extra flights instead of using other available state planes. �On one day in 2001, none of the eight state planes flew, but OA flight officials chartered a non-state plane for a flight. �(See page 11)
Chartered flights increased, despite available state planes
Agency officials have increasingly used chartered planes for flights when state planes were available. �For 91 percent of the flights chartered by OA (106 flights) and Conservation (6 flights) in 2000 and 2001, at least one of the eight planes was available to handle the flight. The costs of these chartered flights were nearly twice the state plane price.� For example, a $2,094 chartered flight between St. Louis and Jefferson City could have cost from $399 to $916 on an available state plane. �State officials provided four main reasons for increased charters: infrequent plane sharing between certain agencies, Highway Patrol's pilot restrictions, passenger preferences for pressurized planes, and limited use of OA's jet for short trips. �(See page 13)
Current plane fleet not well-matched to majority of flights
The passenger planes in the state's fleet do not efficiently accommodate the majority of state's flight needs. �Increased use of chartered pressurized planes to meet passenger preferences left state unpressurized planes unused and increased overall flight costs.� In addition, audit analysis did not show a clear need for OA's Jet, the state's most costly aircraft.� The jet is used most efficiently on longer flights without multiple stops, but the majority of flights are short, in-state trips with multiple stops.� State officials originally bought the jet to "carry multiple passengers to central U.S. destinations." �From 1999 through 2001, 84 percent of the jet's flights stayed in Missouri and 59 percent of the flights carried only three or fewer passengers.� (See page 20)
Variety of passengers allowed on state planes due to no statewide policy
Agencies have conflicting practices about non-state employees flying on state planes, partly because no statewide policy defines appropriate state plane passengers. �Some agencies allow relatives and retired employees on state planes, while others strictly prohibit relatives and retirees on flights.� For example, 24 percent of a former Conservation director's flights also transported one of his relatives, including his wife, daughter or father-in-law.� In addition, relatives of upper-level Conservation management and commissioners, as well as retired state employees, also flew to various Conservation regional meetings and project dedications. �Of the 73 state flights carrying employee relatives (not including the Governor's family) and retired state employees, 77 percent were Conservation flights.� (See page 23)
"State business" reasons for some flights questionable
In eight instances, Highway Patrol officials used state planes to fly state employees to attend funeral services for a patrol officer's parents, spouses, and siblings.� Patrol officials said they made these flights to "lend support."� In addition, Highway Patrol and MoDOT flew upper management to retirement receptions of state employees and commissioners. �These flights included 38 patrol flights to receptions between 1999 and 2001; and 31 passengers on eight flights to five MoDOT retirement receptions between January 2000 and February 2002. �These questionable flights occurred partly because no statewide policy defines an "appropriate" state business flight.� Agencies also document flight purposes differently - or not at all - making it difficult to determine if agencies are always appropriately using state planes. �(See page 31)
Significant costs dedicated to fly commissioners
While Missouri has numerous state commissions, only Transportation and Conservation commissioners take state planes regularly to commission meetings and other commission-related business events.� Between 1999 and 2001, the state spent over $419,000 flying Transportation and Conservation commissioners, with average flight costs to a meeting totaling $2,908 for Conservation, and $3,776 for Transportation.� In addition, costs for some commission meeting flights were much higher when planes flew to the same city multiple times in a day to accommodate commissioner schedules.� (See page 34)
State flights funded by non-state entities
To comply with Federal Aviation Regulations, only state agencies are allowed to pay for state flights. We noted four non-state entities have paid the state to use state planes including: Missouri Future Farmers of America (FFA), Missouri Bar Association, Hawthorne Foundation, and a legislative lobbyist.� State agencies have circumvented federal regulations by scheduling flights for these entities, and then having the entity pay the state for the flight costs. �For example, the FFA paid $6,607 to the state for six flights scheduled through the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.� (See page 39)