Union Sounds Alarm
According to this pilots union at American, many pilots have seen more safety issues than normal recently. These safety issues include airplanes having fewer routine aircraft inspections than they should. This has happened because American has allegedly increased the time between when these routine inspections occur.
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In an email to members, the union wrote that they have “been tracking a significant spike in safety- and maintenance-related problems in our operation.”
Nixing Maintenance Checks
The Allied Pilots Association has made many other claims about these safety issues. Allegedly, American has stopped many overnight maintenance checks.
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These checks used to be normal occurrences. However, now American is only allowing these inspections to happen if the plane is due for a maintenance check, or if it has been written up for needing special attention.
Common Mistakes
The union has also alleged that many mistakes made by maintenance have become quite common. For example, various incidents have happened where the crew has left behind their tools.
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As a result, these tools have been found in wheel wells. Many items have also purportedly been left in what is considered the sterile area around parked planes at an airport’s gates. These issues have become common — and therefore, have become huge safety concerns.
Shorter Test Flights
After a plane has had a major fix or maintenance check, the union has stated that the plane no longer has a regular test flight to ensure it’s ready to return to service.
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Instead, American only allows these planes to go on shorter test flights. The same occurs for planes that have been in long-term shortage and are put back into service.
The Union’s Next Moves
Since releasing this email, the pilots union has made some moves to try to fix these safety problems. The union has already raised these issues with senior managers at American Airlines.
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This meeting reportedly went well — and the union officials are encouraged by how American responded to these allegations.
What the Union Is Saying
Dennis Tajer, a pilot and the union’s spokesman, came out to also clarify that this meeting between the union and American Airlines went well.
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Tajer stated that “management’s initial response to our request was encouraging. We fully intend to do everything we can to assure that American maintains strong margins of safety.”
Will Things Change at American Airlines?
This meeting between union officials and senior American Airlines managers seems to hint that everything could very well be resolved in the near future. American could seriously make changes, now that this union has come forward with their worries.
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However, the union has still asked its many members to report any issues they see. In an email, the union wrote, “We all understand that aviation accidents are the result of a chain of events — often a series of errors — and catching just one of those errors could prevent a tragedy.”
American Airlines’ Response
American Airlines has also responded to these safety claims. An airline spokesperson indicated that the airline company is always in contact with both unions and regulators.
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According to the spokesperson, this contact allows the company “to further bolster our strong safety record and enhance our ever-evolving safety culture.”
Will the FAA Investigate American Airlines?
Now that the pilots union for American has come forward with these safety concerns, will the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) step in to investigate?
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While the FAA declined to comment on this recent situation, a spokesperson for the agency did state that airlines have their own systems for finding and fixing potential security problems.
Recent Plane Problems
Recently, many airline companies have been in the news left and right thanks to ongoing plane problems. This national attention began when an Alaska Airlines plane was forced to make an emergency landing after its door plug blew off in the middle of a flight.
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Since then, many planes — particularly Boeing planes — have had ample issues. These safety problems haven’t completely died down yet.
American Airlines Issues
American Airlines has also had some safety concerns with its planes recently. In March, an American Boeing plane had a flat tire that blew when the plane was taking off.
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March also saw an American Airlines flight make an emergency landing in Los Angeles after the pilot discovered a mechanical problem in the middle of the flight. This mechanical problem was never accurately revealed.