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By Mike Mitchell (also See Pilots Unaware Flight Should Have Been Daytime VMC Restricted) |
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March 15, 2010 -
Time and again we see where airlines
have been penalized for negligent maintenance work on their
aircraft. However, this has not changed the corporate culture. It is
apparent that it's more profitable to pay fines than perform the
required maintenance work on aircraft as required by FAA regulations
even if it places the public at risk.
This corporate culture is
about to change. On Friday the FAA sent out a clear message to the
airlines.
“Safety is our
number one priority at the Department of Transportation,” said
Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood. “And airlines must know that if
safety is compromised, they will be subject to stiff fines.” |
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The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has proposed civil
penalties against two subsidiaries of AMR Corp, American Airlines
and American
Eagle Airlines, totaling $3,687,500 as a result of company
failures to perform proper maintenance work on its aircraft.
1) In April 2008, the FAA alleges American Airlines' mechanics diagnosed problems with one of two Central Air Data Computers on a McDonnell Douglas MD-82 jetliner. 2) In the second case, the FAA found that in March
2008, American failed to correctly follow an Airworthiness Directive
involving the inspection of rudder components on certain Boeing 757
aircraft. As a result, four 757s operated by American Airlines did not
comply with the requirements of the Airworthiness Directive. |
3) In the third
case, the FAA alleges that in May 2009, American’s mechanics returned an
MD-82 aircraft to service, even though several steps of a scheduled
B-check maintenance visit had not been checked off as completed. The
airline also replaced a landing gear door without noting it in the
aircraft’s logbook. 4) The fourth case, back in February, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) proposed a $2.9 million civil penalty against American Eagle Airlines for operating more than 1,000 flights using airplanes on which improper repairs were performed on landing gear doors. The FAA alleges that between February and May 2008, American Eagle 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. |
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