Island Hoppers, the Big Island owner of a private aircraft missing since Tuesday, has been sued by a former employee who is alleging wrongful termination.

The suit was filed Monday — before the plane went missing — by Michael Tennant.

Tennant claimed he was hired by Island Hoppers in November, as a mechanic and pilot, and fired in January for blowing the whistle on faulty maintenance practices at the company.

Tennant claimed he reported that the company failed to consult repair manuals and used improper material to repair and maintain aircraft, alleging that some parts were purchased at an Ace Hardware store on the Big Island.

He also alleged that the company followed improper procedures in repairing and maintaining aircraft.

Examples alleged in the suit were "failure to properly flush gas lines to remove water and to check for steel embedded in aluminum casing which posed dissimilar corrosion."

The suit was filed in Circuit Court on Monday by attorney William Sink.

Sink said yesterday he did not know if the parts in question were used to repair the airplane that is now missing.

He emphasized that the timing of the lawsuit was "unfortunately coincidental."

"Neither my client nor I can foretell the future," Sink said. "If we could, we would have filed this lawsuit earlier."

Sink said he sent a letter by certified mail to Island Hoppers May 9 citing the alleged safety violations but did not get a response from the company.

The lawsuit asks for back pay, future pay and fringe benefits for Tennant as well as general, special and punitive damages to be determined by the court.

The company and its owners have not filed a response and did not respond to telephone and e-mail requests by The Advertiser to comment on the lawsuit.