Federal Aviation Administration plans $300,000 civil penalty against American Airlines
March 19th, 2010 - 1:16 am ICT by BNO News ( Leave a comment )
WASHINGTON, D.C. (BNO NEWS) – The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) announced Thursday that it is proposing a civil penalty on American Airlines.
The FAA is proposing a $300,000 civil penalty, alleging that American Airlines mechanics deferred maintenance on a McDonnell Douglas MD-82 under the airline’s DC-9 Minimum Equipment List by noting that the “pitot/stall heater light off” light on the aircraft’s annunciator panel was inoperative.
The inoperative part was the captain’s pitot probe heater, which is mounted on the exterior of an airplane and is used in measuring airspeed. The probes are equipped with heaters because they can be affected by a build-up of ice. However, maintenance may be delayed, but it restricts flights to daytime only, prohibiting flights into known or forecast icing or visible moisture.
The flight crew was unaware that the daytime because mechanics logged the discrepancy as an inoperative panel light, which resulted in the aircraft being operated on five passenger revenue flights, in violation of Federal Aviation Regulations.
“We expect full compliance with all of our maintenance standards,” said FAA Administrator Randy Babbitt. “Safety is our top concern. Maintenance personnel must pay attention to every detail when they are working on an aircraft.”
American Airlines has 30 days from the receipt of the FAA’s civil penalty letter to respond to the agency.
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