Another fine for AA
- Thread starter Hopeful
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bullterrier
Member
- Nov 3, 2009
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The unions want to keep maintenance "in house" yet they are putting out AC that r sub par? Blame it on the company I guess.
OP
Hopeful
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- Dec 21, 2002
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- Thread Starter
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No. Mechanics do screw up and mis-diagnose problems. Mechanics have had their licenses suspended on many an occasion. And If a mechanic is at fault, then I put the blame squarely on him/her.
But you have to understand the culture at any airline. For the purpose of on time performance, the first action of a pilot complaint is to troubleshoot and correct the problem,,,,,,,TIME PERMITTING.
If we are in delay contention, then we look to "defer" the item per the MEL, CDL. or NEF.
Time is the driving factor to how the item gets addressed. The above deferral references dictate that policy.
Then you have the NFNF's (no fix-no fly's)..which are self explanatory.
My point here is that there are systems which can be placarded under different subsections of the same MEL reference. It is not always cut and dry. The GPM can be at times left open to interpretation.
But if the FAA determined that mechanics were at fault, then so be it. They should accept their punishment as well.
Kinda makes the job of a mechanic that more valuable...
And since this was done with licensed mechanics who will be held accountable and should be, why do you think the company is getting fined? Because the have created a culture of pressuring mechanics for the all too important "on-time departure." I am not saying this in the FAA findings, I am just saying that this is the driving force behind a lot of operational decisions.
Gee, if mechanics are so important and underpaid and the company still wants more concessions,,,well, I just know what to think!
D
DallasConehead
Guest
In this case the mechanic was not at fault, it was the MEL that only required the mechanic to feel for radiated heat around the pitot tubes and static plates with the hand. There is no requirement under the MEL the mechanic used to check for amperage going to the the tube or to check the actual temperature of the heated tube with a temp meter. One could easily feel heat with the hand coming form the tube even though is was in a degraded condition and not heating as much as designed.
Yes, that is why AA is getting fined. The problem is that it is being reported that the AMT was the one who dropped the ball. The MEL was followed so why would AA even get fined since the FAA approved the MEL?
T
The Goose
Guest
Everyone seem to be missing what's going on here - with other carriers not doing their own maintenance any many using out-of-country facilities to do that maintenance with the FAA not having authority to fine said out-of-country MROs), they have to boost their finances somehow. American is a convenient piggy-bank for them. All that needs done is to pick the fly poo from the pepper.
These fines go into the FAA operating budget, similar to fines by the FCC and other "protective" and "watchdog" agencies. These fines keep the agency from having layoffs in tough times and allow them to perform their primary function - i,e, continue providing job security to the incompetent employed there, the same as any other government job.
To believe anything else is self delusion.
The FAA is still in the process of auditing AAs MX records etc.. They haven't started at any other carriers yet...... This is only the start of an industry wide FAA audit of all carriers and their MX programs. The only reason you are not seeing any other carriers being fined is because the FEDS have not got to them yet..... They all will get their turn in the barrel.. 
Spock
Advanced
- Jun 29, 2006
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Don't forget the quality of the FAA field ASI's. I overheard one once telling another that was tagging along with him during a hangar visit on the MD-80 tail dock, "That probe on the vertical fin is used by the DFGC" ...ha
Joe Patroni
Advanced
- Jan 31, 2008
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AA is getting the fine for incorrectly dispatching the airplane. The mechanic correctly placarded the item. I would say if anyone is on the hook, it would be the dispatchers and the flight crews.
Why would they be at fault? Pilots, Dispatch and Maint Control can ONLY go by what the line mechanic tells them, If it is something that would be obvious to the flight crew than I would say yes it is atleast maybe the pilot shared some blame. I used to work the line but am now a maint controller. You don't know how many times mechanics have tried to sell me down the river with an improper MEL and I have approved MEL's only to find out that the write up is totally different from what the mechanic told me over the phone and I have had to ground an a/c at an outstation because of it. Now I make the mechanic put the write up in the computer or if pressed for time I want the write up read to me verbatim from the logbook. Even then I am relying on the line mechanics eyes and judgement. Now if the mechanics in this case did go out and check for radiated heat then I really don't know who would be at fault because that is all the MEL has the mechanic do. Maybe submit a change to the MEL to do other checks to verify operation.
Joe Patroni
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- Jan 31, 2008
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I must admit I have not seen the MEL in awhile and I don't remember what the MEL says for this item. But, if the placard does limit the conditions the aircraft can be dispatched in (Day VFR, Day/Night VFR Only, Night Only, etc) then, if the A/C was placarded properly (reading the article seems like it was) I don't see how dispatch and flight could not be on the hook. I don't know what the actual writeup and action was so I can only speculate. I totally understand your position as the guy at Tech placarding an item based on what the line guy tells you on the phone. I can tell you many stories on improper MEL's I have found when I was working the line.
