Glass Houses: People who live is a glass house should be careful about throwing stones about maintenance practices. A few minutes research of insourced airline maintenance is a sober reminder of how everyone - regardless of union loyalty can make mistakes
American Airlines flight 191, a DC-10, crashed moments after takeoff from O’Hare Int Airport in Chicago. Moments earlier, while speeding down the runway, engine number 1 and pylon structure separated from the wing, flipped over the top and fell to the runway. The airplane took off but shortly after take off, the aircraft rolled left and the nose pitched down before crashing in a nearby field. The root cause of the accident was maintenance-induced damage leading to the separation of the no.1 engine and pylon assembly procedures which led to failure of the pylon structure. The mounting for the pylon had been damaged during routine maintenance performed 8 week previous. American Airlines, without the approval of the aircraft manufacturer McDonnell Douglas remove the engine-pylon as one unit during an engine change using a forklift. The airline maintenance team modified the recommended engine and pylon replacement procedure to save man hours and get the job done quicker. The pylon, the rigging holding the engine onto the wing, had been damaged during the makeshift maintenance procedure.
Alaska Airlines Flight 261 plunged into the pacific ocean during a routine flight from Puerto Vallarta, Mexico to Seattle-Tacoma airport. The cause of the accident was the loss of the airplane pitch control caused by thread failure on the jackscrew assembly controlling the horizontal stabilizer trim. The failure of these acme nut threads was the result of insufficient lubrication of the jackscrew assembly by Alaska Airlines during preventive maintenance schedules, despite airline paperwork indicating it had been. This was the result of Alaska’s extended lubrication and maintenance inspection intervals.
AA Flight 1400 - WASHINGTON (AP) — American Airlines failed to catch mistakes by maintenance workers who didn't follow procedure before a September 2007 flight, causing the airplane's left engine to catch on fire during a departure climb from Lambert-St. Louis International Airport, safety investigators concluded on Tuesday
$39.3 million against American for allegedly failing to fix wiring work on its Boeing 757 aircraft in 2009. Federal specifications are designed to prevent electrical arcing and fires. The FAA said that before the jets were inspected and repaired up to standard, American used 113 of them to make 1,480 flights carrying passengers.
The FAA is seeking $28.8 million for American’s alleged failure to follow the manufacturer’s recommended procedure for overhauling the main landing gear on about 30 Boeing 777 jets. FAA officials in Texas suggested a $1.9 million fine, but officials in Washington increased the amount.
The FAA proposes a $27.6 million fine over work on the engines of Boeing 767 jets. American sought and received permission from Boeing for an alternative fix, but before getting that approval it used four planes on 2,118 flights in 2008, according to court documents.
American Airlines flight 191, a DC-10, crashed moments after takeoff from O’Hare Int Airport in Chicago. Moments earlier, while speeding down the runway, engine number 1 and pylon structure separated from the wing, flipped over the top and fell to the runway. The airplane took off but shortly after take off, the aircraft rolled left and the nose pitched down before crashing in a nearby field. The root cause of the accident was maintenance-induced damage leading to the separation of the no.1 engine and pylon assembly procedures which led to failure of the pylon structure. The mounting for the pylon had been damaged during routine maintenance performed 8 week previous. American Airlines, without the approval of the aircraft manufacturer McDonnell Douglas remove the engine-pylon as one unit during an engine change using a forklift. The airline maintenance team modified the recommended engine and pylon replacement procedure to save man hours and get the job done quicker. The pylon, the rigging holding the engine onto the wing, had been damaged during the makeshift maintenance procedure.
Alaska Airlines Flight 261 plunged into the pacific ocean during a routine flight from Puerto Vallarta, Mexico to Seattle-Tacoma airport. The cause of the accident was the loss of the airplane pitch control caused by thread failure on the jackscrew assembly controlling the horizontal stabilizer trim. The failure of these acme nut threads was the result of insufficient lubrication of the jackscrew assembly by Alaska Airlines during preventive maintenance schedules, despite airline paperwork indicating it had been. This was the result of Alaska’s extended lubrication and maintenance inspection intervals.
AA Flight 1400 - WASHINGTON (AP) — American Airlines failed to catch mistakes by maintenance workers who didn't follow procedure before a September 2007 flight, causing the airplane's left engine to catch on fire during a departure climb from Lambert-St. Louis International Airport, safety investigators concluded on Tuesday
$39.3 million against American for allegedly failing to fix wiring work on its Boeing 757 aircraft in 2009. Federal specifications are designed to prevent electrical arcing and fires. The FAA said that before the jets were inspected and repaired up to standard, American used 113 of them to make 1,480 flights carrying passengers.
The FAA is seeking $28.8 million for American’s alleged failure to follow the manufacturer’s recommended procedure for overhauling the main landing gear on about 30 Boeing 777 jets. FAA officials in Texas suggested a $1.9 million fine, but officials in Washington increased the amount.
The FAA proposes a $27.6 million fine over work on the engines of Boeing 767 jets. American sought and received permission from Boeing for an alternative fix, but before getting that approval it used four planes on 2,118 flights in 2008, according to court documents.
