Clipped Wings

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The FAA has recently grounded several small airlines for safety problems. Last year, under FAA pressure, Air Illinois suspended flights for six weeks. Four months after the airline started flying again, it was forced to file for bankruptcy. Whether PBA can survive depends on how quickly and convincingly it can make amends with Government officials. Last week the agency approved PBA's initial plan for bringing its operating procedures into line and allowed the airline to resume some flights. PBA's plan, though, requires the airline to retest its pilots and rewrite its training manual and may take weeks to accomplish. Meanwhile, PBA's competitors are already scooping up its customers.