American Airlines puts profit over safety? FAA is investigating

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AAsafety
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Written by Linda Hohnholz

Is American Airlines putting profits ahead of safety and intimidating its maintenance team into cutting corners?

Is American Airlines putting profits ahead of safety and intimidating its maintenance team into cutting corners? The Transport Workers Union of America thinks so and on January 22, 2015 filed a lawsuit against the largest US airline.

The initial response by American Airlines was this lawsuit was baseless and an attempt to distract the AA maintenance team from the work at hand. An American Airlines spokesperson on January 22 said, “The lawsuit was a disservice to American’s 100,000 employees and customers.”

Just a week later, the US Department of Transportation, Federal Aviation Administration, on January 29 responded to this complaint filed by the Transport Workers Union, Local 591, based in Colleyville, Texas, and painted a very different picture. It was also a very different picture than the American Airlines PR team wanted the public and the media to know.

ETN obtained a copy of the letter by the FAA. American Airlines did not respond to repeated calls.

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In case number CSW2120140029, the FAA stated a recent division by American Airlines General Procedures Manual (GPM) may be in fact a serious safety violation by the airline.

This determination by the FAA was made after American Airlines removed Quality Control from the responsibility of the wide body B-Checks, and American Airlines removed inspectors from the wide body B-Checks.

The FAA stated in a letter dated January 29 to the Transport Workers Union: “As a result of our investigation, we have determined a violation of the Code of Federal Regulations may have occurred.”

The FAA told Mr. Gary Peterson of the Transport Workers Union: “Our office holds oversight responsibility for the American Airlines operating certificate and is responsible for the surveillance of this airline carrier. On June 11,2014, you visited our office to discuss concerns regarding B-check maintenance procedures that American Airlines has made.”

The FAA went on in its letter: “Specifically, the Transport Workers Union of America (TWU) has submitted a complaint to this office on behalf of the AMT’s in Line Maintenance at American Airlines (AA). TWU has made the determination that AA has implemented changes to B-Check maintenance procedures in a manner that violates federal aviation standards, including: 14CFR ยง121.363(a)(2), 121.365(a), 121.367, 121.373(a), and 121.375. The issues discussed below arise directly or indirectly from AA’s revision of its General Procedures Manual (GPM) to:

(1) remove Quality Control from the responsibility of the wide body B-Checks and

(2) remove Inspectors from the wide body B-Checks.

As a result of our investigation, we have determined a violation of the Code of Federal Regulations may have occurred. This office will continue to investigate this possible violation and will take the necessary corrective action.

About the author

Avatar of Linda Hohnholz

Linda Hohnholz

Editor in chief for eTurboNews based in the eTN HQ.

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