FAA finds cracks on 3 American Airlines 767s

[jimntx]

I'm not. There is way too much pencil whipping of maintenance issues these days--some stations more than others. Boarding an a/c and finding overhead bins and/or First Class seats covered with duct tape and a hand-lettered "do not use" sign, just tells me again that I work for a world-class airline.

 

[Hopeful]

I'm not. There is way too much pencil whipping of maintenance issues these days--some stations more than others. Boarding an a/c and finding overhead bins and/or First Class seats covered with duct tape and a hand-lettered "do not use" sign, just tells me again that I work for a world-class airline.

The ironic thing is that AA management constantly complains about the high number of MELs on the fleet at a given time, but they don't put much emphasis on cleaning up these deferred items when the aircraft overnites some where.
So when the flight/cabin crew question a placarded item pre-flight, there is not enough time to do it.

 

[Deleted member 14439]

Is anyone concerned about the fact that the FAA found the friggin' cracks, not our people? Or, is this just another opportunity to start an AA vs. TWA argument? Lives are at stake.

I might have said that being based in SLT, I am safe from the cracked 767s, but since the 757 appears to be the "new" A300 when it comes to maintenance issues, we've had some 76 subs on 75 routes lately. Pay attention, guys. Some of us depend upon you doing your jobs, not just looking for opportunities to beat a dead horse.

JIMTX, Hold the phone there. I am at AFW and have been since 1994. WE FOUND THE CRACKS !!! I WILL SAY THAT AGAIN FOR ALL TO HEAR , WE THE AMTS ON MY DOCK FOUND THESE CRACKS. The professionals who found these crack and raised the red flag are heros. The aircraft was only hours from departures when thee guys noticed something wrong and STOPPED everything. If anything the TWU should be spinning this as our own INHOUSE maintenance saved the day. I have seen the first pylon inquestion first hand and there is NO doubt we narrowly avoided a tragedy. We did avoid it and again I submit to you all that it was thru professionalism, and diligence that AA AMTS saved the day.

 

[jimntx]

Then, I thank you. However, the fact that maintenance is being deferred until they have no choice but to fix it is also a fact of life at AA these days. I had my first airplane flight 53 years ago this month at the age of 12. I have been on every continent except Antarctica (all pre-AA). I have never been a nervous flyer even in severe turbulence over the Pacific once upon a time. I am becoming a nervous flyer--not a good trait for someone whose work day is spent on airplanes in the air.

 

[Deleted member 14439]

Then, I thank you. However, the fact that maintenance is being deferred until they have no choice but to fix it is also a fact of life at AA these days. I had my first airplane flight 53 years ago this month at the age of 12. I have been on every continent except Antarctica (all pre-AA). I have never been a nervous flyer even in severe turbulence over the Pacific once upon a time. I am becoming a nervous flyer--not a good trait for someone whose work day is spent on airplanes in the air.

Jim, your welcome, and you are correct about the deferals. However this instance had nothing to do with a deferal . I work on and look at every airplane I touch as if my own family will be on it. For what its worth just days after all this got going I found myself on an FCF and had no concerns. We are on top of this Jim so no worries.

 

[boston]

Jim, your welcome, and you are correct about the deferals. However this instance had nothing to do with a deferal . I work on and look at every airplane I touch as if my own family will be on it. For what its worth just days after all this got going I found myself on an FCF and had no concerns. We are on top of this Jim so no worries.

dvlhog212
I to was very concerned when I heard this news, I'm based in Miami and fly International, so the 767- 300 are a good portion of our flying. I thank you, and all of you for keeping an keen eye on our aircraft. I trust you.

Kim

 

[Deleted member 14439]

dvlhog212
I to was very concerned when I heard this news, I'm based in Miami and fly International, so the 767- 300 are a good portion of our flying. I thank you, and all of you for keeping an keen eye on our aircraft. I trust you.

Kim

Thanks , Kim. Those 3 little words mean a lot. 767-300 are my airplane with the occasional -200 thrown in the mix. I only wish you guys and gals could see the dedication and skill my guys put forth.

 

[eolesen]

Since my wife and I are flying on AA to MXP next week on a 763, this has her full attention... I trust AA's mechanics as well. Implicitly.

AA and pylon mounts have a history, and while most would rather forget about 1979, I'm glad to see that it hasn't been completely forgotten...

TWU should be getting out in front of this story. Don't let some career FAA guy take credit... Because you guys do you your jobs correctly, you don't get the credit very often, but there's no hesitation when something avoidable is missed.

At the risk of sounding like the Obama administration, you shouldn't let this opportunity to show the value of an experienced AMT go to waste.

 

[BoeingBoy]

I'm not. There is way too much pencil whipping of maintenance issues these days--some stations more than others. Boarding an a/c and finding overhead bins and/or First Class seats covered with duct tape and a hand-lettered "do not use" sign, just tells me again that I work for a world-class airline.

Since I worked for US, the carrier that became renowned for duct tape in the cabin (like the Tim Allen joke), take my word for it - don't equate that with maintenance of the important parts. Despite all the duct tape, I never once had any second thoughts on the airworthiness of any US plane I set foot on.

Jim

 

[Boomer]

Since my wife and I are flying on AA to MXP next week on a 763, this has her full attention... I trust AA's mechanics as well. Implicitly.

AA and pylon mounts have a history, and while most would rather forget about 1979, I'm glad to see that it hasn't been completely forgotten...

TWU should be getting out in front of this story. Don't let some career FAA guy take credit... Because you guys do you your jobs correctly, you don't get the credit very often, but there's no hesitation when something avoidable is missed.

At the risk of sounding like the Obama administration, you shouldn't let this opportunity to show the value of an experienced AMT go to waste.

When has the TWU EVER BEEN IN FRONT OF ANYTHING OTHER THAN KEEPING THE DUES BASE INTACT AND RAISING THEIR OWN LEVELS OF COMPENSATION?

 

[AA767JET]

Can someone answer this,
Why is one of our 767-300's with this pylon problem being worked on by spirit airlines, we were told by management that spirit airlines is the only airline that has this so called jig that is needed for this inspection or fix , which is weird because spirit airlines only has an airbus fleet !!! What the ??????

 

[Mr.Robot-tow]

dvlhog212,a picture is worth a thousand words,I used to work TUL,we used to take pictures of area's in question to Boeing engineering as to get a exact picture of what AMT's and AA engineerings were looking at.Can you post if possible as to give AA employees a better undestanding of the area in question. Or the position in the pylon as per the SRM.Did the pylon come off and a new one put up or was it repaired inside the box.

 

[OgieJFK]

AA and pylon mounts have a history, and while most would rather forget about 1979, I'm glad to see that it hasn't been completely forgotten.

You bring up the Flt 191 crash in 79. I've never forgotten the picture just before it crashed.....the history channel has one of the best documentaries on that crash, shredded AA reports, courtcase and aftermath. It does not paint AA in a good light. This is the youtube link....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3mPCrd6yqZk

 

[Deleted member 14439]

dvlhog212,a picture is worth a thousand words,I used to work TUL,we used to take pictures of area's in question to Boeing engineering as to get a exact picture of what AMT's and AA engineerings were looking at.Can you post if possible as to give AA employees a better undestanding of the area in question. Or the position in the pylon as per the SRM.Did the pylon come off and a new one put up or was it repaired inside the box.

Pylons are off. we are working one at AFW and the other is being hacked up at spirit in witchita. Word from our guys that are up there is the spirit folks are not an impressive lot. I do know we fought to do the repair in house at AFW but the senior engineer wanted it to go to spirit, supposedly only they had the proper tooling. Thats confusing I know given we are working one of the 2 cracked pylons here.

 

[aapitbull]

Pylons are off. we are working one at AFW and the other is being hacked up at spirit in witchita. Word from our guys that are up there is the spirit folks are not an impressive lot. I do know we fought to do the repair in house at AFW but the senior engineer wanted it to go to spirit, supposedly only they had the proper tooling. Thats confusing I know given we are working one of the 2 cracked pylons here.

Can you tell us if any of the planes with cracks have winglets installed thanks in advance for the info!