By Matt Sepic, KWMU
St. Louis – Officials at Lambert Airport said employees misled them about maintenance tasks performed on the airport's backup generators.
Three of those machines failed during the July 19 storm, leaving the main terminal and three concourses in the dark.
Airport Deputy Director Gerard Slay said technicians are supposed to start the generators' diesel engines on a regular basis.
He said the employees told their superiors the machines had been run, but hour meters on the generators indicated the opposite.
"Verbally, we were misled," Slay said. "And the process we're going through will determine if it was miscommunication or if it was purposely providing us with incorrect information."
Slay said pre-disciplinary hearings have been scheduled for the employees involved. And the airport has hired a contractor to maintain the generators.