KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WVLT) — The Tennessee Valley Authority’s inspector general released an audit on the organization’s misuse of an executive helicopter, calling it not always cost effective.
An internal audit of the TVA helicopter use was released earlier this week. It says many trips executives made on the helicopter were too short for such use, like traveling between Knoxville and Chattanooga. The report determined that it cost around $1,100 to make trips between the cities separated by roughly 100 miles and saved 15 to 24 minutes compared to driving.
Violations included flying without proper documentation and justification.
Assistant Inspector General David Wheeler said in the audit that the failures prevent TVA from ensuring travel costs are managed effectively and may cause reputational risks.
TVA purchased a $6.95 million executive helicopter in 2016 equipped by Mercedes Benz to replace an aging aircraft. TVA President Bill Johnson said the new helicopter, previously used by Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones, is safer and helps executives be more…
