The US Department of Transportation’s Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is proposing a $275,000 civil penalty against Atlas Airlines for allegedly operating a Boeing 747 Freighter after performing “improper maintenance on the aircraft”.

The FAA alleges that Atlas maintenance workers improperly repaired the aircraft landing gear after it would not retract on departure from Sydney, Australia.

The administration says Atlas repaired the gear using the wrong part, and maintenance workers had to install the component upside down to get it to fit, the FAA alleges.

Atlas operated the aircraft on 24 cargo flights over a 10-day period after improperly repairing the landing gear, the FAA alleges and adds the 747 was not in an “airworthy condition during those flights”.

The FAA says Atlas has been in communication with it about the case.