Sometimes federal agencies get a wake-up call and go into overdrive. It seems that the Federal Aviation Authority (FAA) is in just such a mode these days. They have just fined American Eagle millions of dollars. They are investigating that airlines parent company, American Airlines, for “repeated maintenance discrepancies.” And they are actively scrutinizing Southwest Airlines’ maintenance records and procedures.
Here are the quick hits from various media.
Today’s Air Transport World headlines note a $2.9 million fine assessed against American Eagle.
FAA yesterday proposed a $2.9 million civil penalty against American Eagle Airlines for operating more than 1,000 flights using four CRJ700s “on which improper repairs were performed on landing gear doors,” the second significant fine for an alleged safety violation proposed against AMR Corp.’s regional subsidiary this month.
The carrier already faces a $2.5 million fine for “operating flights without adequately ensuring the weight of baggage was properly calculated” (ATWOnline, Feb. 2). It now must address yesterday’s allegations that in February-May 2008 it “conducted at least 1,178 passenger-carrying flights using four Bombardier jets with main landing gear doors that had not been repaired in accordance with an Airworthiness Directive that became effective in August 2006.”
The Dallas Morning News outlines the brewing problems at American Airlines, two years after thousands of their MD-80s were grounded for wiring problems. These problems are not only the fault of the airline, but also identified FAA problems in terms of how they conduct oversight.
The investigation, by the U.S. Department of Transportation’s inspector general, didn’t identify any “immediate” flight-safety risks but concluded that American’s operational reliability has decreased since 2004. The inspector general wrote that trend “increases the risk of serious incidents.”
While the inspector general’s report faulted American, which has been under closer federal scrutiny for nearly two years, it blamed the Federal Aviation Administration for failing to inspect the carrier’s increased maintenance deferrals and what the inspector general called American’s “history of noncompliance” with required inspections.
Other news reports note that Southwest Airlines is under a full investigation for procedures used in fuselage repairs.
Here’s what apparently happened: An airline maintenance contractor was brought on to replace exterior skin panels on a number of Southwest’s 737s. The contractor decided it couldn’t complete the work as instructed, and proposed a workaround, which Southwest approved. Southwest did not, however, inform the FAA, as it was supposed to, which resulted in planes returning to the skies without FAA approval.
According to the News, “Part of the work involved a process known as shoring, which is how mechanics secure the aircraft frame while skin panels are changed. In addition, the inspectors found that ATS’ mechanics didn’t always apply rivets to refasten the skin panels within the 20 hours prescribed by Boeing, the plane manufacturer. The rivets must be applied in that timeframe to ensure that sealant doesn’t leak out, creating a gap between the skin and the frame of the airplane.
Rumors circulating in airline circles say that record-breaking fines are on the way for American Airlines in addition to the American Eagle penalties just announced. Southwest may face similar fines for not properly informing the FAA of their procedures.
The airlines and their maintenance personnel claim that their safety has not been eroded, but FAA studies, especially in the IG study of AA, “concluded that American’s operational reliability has decreased since 2004.”
Photo: Jim Wissemes flickr/Creative Commons
Charlie Leocha is the President of Travelers United. He has been working in Washington, DC, for the past 14 years with Congress, the Department of Transportation, and industry stakeholders on travel issues. He was the first consumer representative to the Advisory Committee for Aviation Consumer Protections appointed by the Secretary of Transportation from 2012 through 2018.
