Dive Brief:
- The Aviator College of Aeronautical Science and Technology, a for-profit flight college in Florida, abruptly closed down its main campus in Fort Pierce, Florida, last week.
- According to a state notice from the college’s parent company, the campus shuttered April 15 and began layoffs totaling 40 to 50 positions. The cuts included instructors, administrators, facilities workers and more.
- Last fall, the college’s accreditor voted to withdraw accreditation following two fatal plane crashes during flight lessons in recent years, as well as anonymous complaints alleging myriad criteria violations. The college had appealed the withdrawal.
Dive Insight:
Students at Aviator College told WPTV they were notified April 9 of the impending campus closure set for nine days later. Many expressed shock and said they were out thousands of dollars they incurred for flight education at the college. In 2024-25, the cost of tuition, flight fees and housing at Aviator College ran over $68,000 for its one-year commercial pilot program and over $115,000 for its two-year aviation associate degree.
In an emailed statement Tuesday, the college said it is working with “several schools” to find options for students to continue their studies. Its home office plans to stay open through May 15, and staff will be available to answer questions from students and parents. It also said it will provide refunds to students with account balances.
The college had just under 260 students in fall 2024, according to federal data.
“We are deeply saddened by the decision to close the Fort Pierce Campus of Aviator College,” the college said in the statement. “Every effort was made to explore alternatives to remain operational; however, those efforts were ultimately unsuccessful.”
When notifying the Florida Department of Commerce of impending campus layoffs, Aviator College’s parent company attributed the college closure to a lawsuit by a former student’s family. It didn’t provide additional details beyond these: “Unable to sell the company to new buyers. Allegations of Bankruptcy.”
The college also has a branch campus in Kissimmee, Florida, that offers an aviation maintenance program. That campus is still open and ownership has no plans to shutter it, a spokesperson said Wednesday. The college’s accreditor voted to revoke the Kissimmee branch’s accreditation as well, tying it to the decision to revoke approval of the main campus. That decision is also under appeal.
Aviator College came under heavy scrutiny by the Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges following two fatal crashes in 2023 and 2024.
A National Transportation Safety Board report, which the college provided to ACCSC, found that the 2023 crash was caused by a “non-required maneuver” performed by the instructor that “led to acute mechanical failure,” the accreditor said in October. The crash killed one instructor and injured another.
An NTSB analysis of the 2024 crash concluded that it occurred after a mechanical failure — which the investigators said likely stemmed from an insufficient inspection — and the instructor’s failure to follow proper emergency flight protocol. The crash killed the instructor and injured a student.
In thick bureaucratese, ACCSC chastised the college’s failure to notify it of the first crash, which prevented the quality control body from “assessing the matter and initiating an inquiry as to the school’s compliance with accreditation and safety standards.”
While Aviator College quickly notified ACCSC of the second crash, the accrediting body did not excuse the “past failure to provide the required notification.”
“There is heightened awareness and concern given the seriousness of these incidents and the ensuing questions that arise in regard to safety at the school,” ACCSC wrote.
Moreover, anonymous complaints to ACCSC alleged a laundry list of potential accreditation violations in multiple areas: ownership, management, financial responsibility, instructional materials and equipment, program design, program length, enrollment agreements, faculty qualifications and student services.
ACCSC found numerous issues when it examined Aviator College’s operations more closely. It flagged substandard graduation and employment rates for students, a lack of qualified leaders and faculty, and inadequate facilities at the college.
Additionally, ACCSC said that as of January 2025, 91% of students were 100 days or more behind on required flight time because of scheduling issues and equipment malfunctions. While the college greatly improved those numbers later in the year, ACCSC said it had not “sufficiently rectified the contributing problems.”
On top of all that, the accreditor pointed to heavy turnover among top college officials, leading to an unstable leadership core.
