FAA Investigating Southwest Airlines Navigation System Failure as Landed at Los Angeles International Airport

The Federal Aviation Administration is investigating what caused a Southwest Airlines jetliner to lose its navigation system as it landed at Los Angeles International Airport last week, officials said Wednesday.

The pilot of Southwest Flight 1445, carrying 92 passengers from San Jose to LAX, found that some of his instruments had failed while on approach to LAX around noon on Oct. 20, said Brad Hawkins, a spokesman for Southwest Airlines.

The plane’s first officer took control of the Boeing 737 as the pilot radioed for assistance to the air traffic control tower, Hawkins said.

The cause of the navigation system’s failure remained under investigation, said FAA spokesman Lynn Lunsford.

Hawkins said mechanics found that a tripped circuit breaker was the cause of the problem. The plane’s instruments were operational after the breaker was restored to its position, he said.

Incoming flights were ordered to circle around as the plane was guided in with help from two veteran air traffic controllers, said Ron Geyer, head of the controller’s union that oversees Southern California’s air space.

American Airlines to Challenge Proposed Penalty by FAA

Federal officials have hit American Airlines with a record penalty of $24.2 million over maintenance lapses that caused thousands of canceled flights in 2008.

The Federal Aviation Administration said Thursday that American failed to take steps to prevent chafing of electrical wires in the wheel wells of its McDonnell Douglas MD-80-series jets.

The FAA says the wiring could have led to fires and fuel-tank explosions.

American vowed to challenge the proposed penalty. Airlines routinely challenge FAA penalties or negotiate to reduce them.

“These events happened more than two years ago, and we believe this action is unwarranted,” said American spokesman Tim Smith. “We are confident we have a strong case and the facts will bear this out.”

American officials have said the dispute is over a minor matter of leaving too much space between clips that held bundles of wire together. Smith said passenger safety was never threatened.

A large safety penalty would add to American’s financial and image problems. Parent AMR Corp. was the only major U.S. airline company to lose money in the second quarter, and it has lost more than $4 billion since the start of 2008 as it struggled against high fuel costs and a slump in travel.

American is also beset by labor issues, with unions representing mechanics and flight attendants talking about going on strike, and pilots openly criticizing the company.

The new penalty stems from early 2008, when FAA inspectors said they spotted problems with the wiring on two MD-80 planes. The FAA says American failed to correctly fix the problem, and inspectors found improper work on most of the planes they checked during follow-up visits to American maintenance facilities.

The airline ended up grounding its entire fleet of about 300 MD-80s and canceling thousands of flights in April 2008 while mechanics worked on the planes.
The FAA said Thursday that American operated 14,278 passenger flights on 286 planes that didn’t meet the wiring standards.

“We expect operators to perform inspections and conduct regular and required maintenance in order to prevent safety issues,” said Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood, whose department includes the FAA. “There can be no compromises when it comes to safety.”

American has since been retiring some of the gas-guzzling MD-80 planes and replacing them with more fuel-efficient ones. The FAA said safety officials had made progress working with American to improve the airline’s “maintenance culture.”

If upheld, the penalty against American would top the previous record of $9.5 million that the FAA levied against Eastern Airlines in 1987 for delaying required maintenance work. Eastern went out of business after paying only about $1 million.

As the FAA was focusing on American in 2008, it also proposed a $10.2 million penalty against Southwest Airlines Co. for operating about 1,400 flights before inspecting the planes for cracks. Southwest negotiated that down to $7.5 million.

The actions against American and Southwest came after whistle-blowers in the FAA and members of Congress criticized the agency for being too cozy with the airlines.

Federal Aviation Administration Close to Fine Against American Airlines

The U.S. government is close to proposing a substantial fine against American Airlines, a unit of AMR Corp, for alleged maintenance and inspection violations that led to the grounding of hundreds of planes and the cancellation of thousands of flights in 2008.

A source familiar with the matter said the decision by safety regulators was expected soon and the fine would likely be significant.

The Wall Street Journal reported on Thursday that the Federal Aviation Administration fine could reach $25 million.

The FAA said it would not comment on a pending enforcement investigation.

American said it was unaware of any possible fine.

“This is something that happened more than two years ago, and we haven’t received any notification by the FAA about any pending action, nor do we believe any action is warranted,” an American Airlines spokesman said in a statement.

Aviation industry and safety insiders have long expected the FAA to slap American with a penalty that would at least rival the record $10 million fine proposed against Southwest Airlines for alleged inspection shortcomings on certain Boeing 737s in 2006 and 2007. As part of a settlement, Southwest agreed to pay $7.5 million.

Airlines usually pay less than the government initially proposes.

The case against American stemmed from stepped up safety inspections of the carrier by the FAA, which at the time was under pressure from Congress to tighten oversight of the industry.

FAA inspectors said they found problems with wheel well wiring in MD-80 series planes, prompting the company to ground 300 of the workhorse jetliners and cancel flights affecting 300,000 passengers over several days in the spring of 2008.

American said it addressed the FAA’s concerns before putting planes back into service.

source : ABC News

American Airlines Fined $25 million by FAA as Aircraft Maintenance Errors

Wall Street Journal reported, the FAA gave a fine $ 25 million to American Airlines for aircraft maintenance errors that will be used to flight services. Aircraft maintenance errors made by American Airlines caused many flight cancellations in 2008.

The fine, which would be the largest levied against a U.S. airline, is being viewed as FAA’s demand for strict maintenance compliance by airlines. According to the Journal, FAA had an initial consideration of as much as $100 million in penalty, which was rejected by senior officials.

Citing people familiar with the matter, the Journal noted that American Airlines has not been officially informed about the case and an announcement is likely in the next few weeks.

In March 2008, Southwest Airlines Co.(LUV) was fined a $10.2 million by FAA for knowingly operating 46 Boeing 737s on 1,400 flights without performing mandatory structural inspections. The Airline negotiated and agreed to pay $7.5 million.

The airline was forced to temporarily ground its entire fleet of 300 McDonnell Douglas MD-80 jets for many days in 2008, due to an improperly fixed electrical wiring around landing gear of its plains. The Federal agency had noted that 280 of the jets were not in strict compliance. As per the law, FAA can consider a penalty of $25 thousand for each flight, the Journal said.

Further, the report noted that American Airlines would challenge the size of the penalty and negotiate for a settlement. A statement from the airline said that it “always maintained its aircraft to the highest standards.”

Air-Safety Regulator Ordered U.S. Airlines to Install New Software on Boeing 777

FAA Tells Airlines to Install New Software to Avert Possibility of Planes Running Off End of Runways.

Air-safety regulators are ordering U.S. airlines to install new software on Boeing 777s to keep the jetliners from possibly running off the end of runways, a mandate that could ultimately affect more than 800 planes world-wide.

In a safety directive released Tuesday, the Federal Aviation Administration ordered the fix to prevent problems when the autopilot system is inadvertently on while a Boeing 777 aircraft is rolling down the runway just before takeoff.

When pilots try to climb under such circumstances without realizing the autopilot is engaged, they encounter greater than usual resistance in raising the aircraft’s nose. As a result, the FAA said, the pilots decide to halt the takeoff at a dangerously high speed.
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FAA Reminded American Airlines Aircraft Maintenance Violations

For the second time in a week, the Federal Aviation Administration has announced that it has proposed fining American Airlines for aircraft maintenance violations.

The FAA revealed Thursday that it sent a letter to American last week proposing a $300,000 civil penalty for the maintenance lapses, which could have endangered the aircraft, flight crew and passengers.

American Airlines maintenance workers, the FAA said, failed to properly document a malfunctioning speed indicator on an MD-82 jet in February 2009.

Not knowing about the defective indicator, crews flew the plane five times, including at night and in inclement winter weather. Such flights are allowed under American’s FAA-approved procedures, but only in daylight and clear weather.
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Federal Aviation Recommended Maintenance Punishment for American Airlines

Federal regulators are proposing more maintenance-related penalties against American Airlines.

The Federal Aviation Administration said Friday it would fine American $787,500 for three cases of alleged maintenance problems.

In one case, regulators say the airline operated a plane without replacing a central computer on the jet. The FAA says mechanics improperly put off the maintenance.
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U.S. Air Passenger Growth Slows in Sluggish Economy

U.S. airline passenger numbers will reach 1 billion in 2023, two years later than projected, because of slow economic growth, the Federal Aviation Administration said.

The revision in the agency’s annual forecast follows an “unprecedented” drop in operations last year, when take-offs and landings fell 10.4 percent, said Nan Shellabarger, the agency’s director of aviation policy and plans.
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