Hmmm, I've heard 2 explainations for grounding AA's fleet.

[napi21]

First, I heard that Shrub appointed a buddy as Sec. of Transportation, and another buddy to head the FAA. Those guys don't like regulating business, so they changed the Dept. from one of enforcement to one of "compliance assistance". A "now be good guys" attitude has been operating for 7 years. They got spooked by the problem with Southwest and THEIR noncompliance in checking and fixing the tail rudder problems a few weeks ago, so they decided they bette4r clamp down on everybody NOW!

Second, the FAA began checking compliance with ADs (airworthiness Directives) and found a problem with the bundled wires in the wheelwells of the MD80's. The AD requires the wire bundle be tied with wireties every 1", but at AA they were tied every 1 1/4" so that considered noncompiance and 60 planes were grounded and the airline instructed to FIX IT! When the FAA came back to reinspect that 60 planes, they found that the clamp had been installed backwards AND that the sheathing was the wrong sheathing. THAT was when they grounded the fleet.


The first explaination I heard on the radio this AM, and the second explaination I just saw on CNN along with showing one of the wore bundles. I'll try to find a link.

I actually believe BOTH stories.

[DadOf2LittleAngels]

1. In the current climate they had to ground the fleet

Were there to be an incident on one of those planes not matter *how* unrelated to what they knew was 'wrong' (or really is wrong depending on the story) that would be it for an otherwise struggling airline.

[madokie]

2. I'm just glad I have no reasons to fly anymore

I just hope we survive bushco

[DadOf2LittleAngels]

3. We have made it this far well get trough it..

[madokie]

5. I think so too

this country is much stronger than a cabal of traitorous bastages

[SammyWinstonJack]

7. I would love to be that optimistic.

Unfortunately I am not.

[napi21]

4. You're right of course. My guess is that the maintenance crews

at ALL AIRLINES have been scrambelling big time over the last week or so to make SURE the FAA doesn't find anything when it becomes THEIR TURN!

The problems with the wire bundles really WASN'T a safety problem, but I can tell you, my son has been an A&P mech for 18 years, and the airlines USED TO KNOW how pickey the FAA inspectors were on EVERYTHING, and AFIK the only things the airline he works for was ever cited for was some signoffs missing from paperowrk, and even then, the offending employee was dicliplined. I haven't heard anything aboutsurprise inspections which is why I believe the first report I heard. I'll have to ask my son if he noticed a change.

[Divernan]

6. Of course the FAA was compromised by Bush's political appointees, just like every other fed agency.

nt

[DadOf2LittleAngels]

9. I used to do inspection for USACE up in the NE

and I was a major PITA because every time I signed off on something if years down the line it failed it was *my* responsibility. I once asked a contractor so rip out a good weeks worth of work because of one relatively minor variance but the risk of a failure was allot..

[napi21]

10. If my son is an example, that same sense of responsibility still

exists today, from the sighn off by the mech all the way through final insp.

I had a good friend who had a great supervisory job with Eastern. He QUIT because his superiors were demanding that the plane had to fly to make $$, so if a backup systerm wasn't working "Don't worry about it. The primary one is fine!" As we all know, Eastern didn't survive. I can't say that EVERY mech & Insp. does a 100% job ALL THE TIME, but by far, the vast majority do.

[zbdent]

8. It's not Bill Clinton's fault?

[gratuitous]

12. Give 'em a minute, willya?

Geez, can't come up with a reason all in a second, you know. It'll be Clinton's fault soon enough, if not Bill's then surely Hillary's.

[Initech]

11. 1st one - conspiracy theory. 2nd one - half truth.

Read this:

The American Airlines pilot says the plane's nose gear would not retract and he quickly began circling the Minnesota airport. But freezing temperatures and icy precipitation started to create problems inside the plane, Mayer says.

http://www.cnn.com/2008/US/04/08/griffin.landing.gear/index.html

A similar incident happened in Palm Beach Airport (PBI) a couple months ago, requiring the pilots to make an emergency landing.