FAA says no way to American Airlines (Barf Alert)

NY Daily News ^ | Friday, April 11th 2008 | XANA O'NEILL and ADAM NICHOLS

[Gamecock]

Here's the barf alert:

they're holding us here at this damn airport," he said. "We have suffered for hours."

Poor baby! All he wants to do is get to Miami so he can go to a strip club with his buddies....

[Smokin' Joe]

The FAA yesterday ordered the 300 Boeing MD-80 jets to remain parked while mechanics made sure wire ties were exactly 1 inch apart

Exactly 1 inch... is that center to center, or exactly one inch between them?

[DustyMoment]

This is the lovely thing about government - a publicly held corporation has to take it in the shorts to meet a non-emergency ultimatum from the feds.

Cable tie spacing and wire clamps on aircraft wiring bundles are not emergency essential repairs for safety and could be performed at the next 100 hour check.

Instead, American is trapped in a PR disaster that is not necessarily of its own making.

[driftdiver]

“Exactly 1 inch... is that center to center, or exactly one inch between them?”

Oh crap, now they have to do all these inspections again. sheesh

[wita]

If only the government could figure out how to profit from stupidity, all federal agencies would instantly become self supporting. Just think no more listening to democrats bad mouth the American worker with their “tax cuts for the rich” talking point.

[MortMan]

The inspections are called . There's a reason for the name.

[mvpel]

The FAA yesterday ordered the 300 Boeing MD-80 jets to remain parked while mechanics made sure wire ties were exactly 1 inch apart and clamps faced the right way.

Bears repeating. At least AMR is a bargain at the moment.

[MortMan]

Cable tie spacing and wire clamps on aircraft wiring bundles are not emergency essential repairs for safety and could be performed at the next 100 hour check.

Not if they were supposed to have been performed three 100-hour checks ago. AA made their bed, and their passengers are now forced to lie in it. Postponing overdue maintenance checks under the Instructions for Continued Airworthiness isn't the answer, IMO.

[MortMan]

The inspections are called Instructions for Continued Airworthiness. There's a reason for the name.

I have no clue what happened to my original post!?!

[mvpel]

Not if they were supposed to have been performed three 100-hour checks ago. AA made their bed, and their passengers are now forced to lie in it.

They're being forced to lie in it by a band of petty tyrants with Napoleon issues at the FAA.

[DJ Frisat]

"This is the lovely thing about government - a publicly held corporation has to take it in the shorts to meet a non-emergency ultimatum from the feds."

And top it off with more gov't interference, with Chucky Schumer telling both parties that the could have done something -- note that he offers no solution -- to make the process run more smoothly.

Yeah, more gov't! That's the ticket!!!

[grb]

It sounds like American Airlines didn’t grease the correct palm

[Travis McGee]

And it will turn out that the one inch spacing was an arbitrary decision to begin with. Why now 0.8”, or 1.25”?

Federal bureaucrats could ruin many businesses in just this fashion.

[Red Badger]

Southwest Airlines was fine $10 Million for flying aircraft that were not inspected. I bet American airlines lost more than that yesterday. They would have been better off telling the FAA to stuff it and go about business as usual and inspect their aircraft in a timely fashion..............

[Smokin' Joe]

Federal bureaucrats could ruin many businesses in just this fashion.

And do, I am sure. Locally, a building inspector was run out of town for enforcing earthquake codes ...in North Dakota.

(There is a reason I live here. If the ground starts shaking, either something big is coming, or something big blew up.)

[Abathar]

"And it will turn out that the one inch spacing was an arbitrary decision to begin with."

I was thinking the same thing, way to convenient a number for it not to be completely arbitrary.

Probably only need to be 2" spacing but some engineer decided that 1" would be better yet, so it became a law engraved in stone.

[MortMan]

In other words, if AA breaks the rules, they should be able to further break the rules because it’s inconvenient? Sorry - I strongly disagree. AA failed to fulfill its past obligation, and a “promise” to make up the arrears does not alleviate their responsibility for the situation.

[Moonman62]

They're being forced to lie in it by a band of petty tyrants with Napoleon issues at the FAA.

The FAA wouldn't switch gears like this all on its own. Either Congress or W is yelling at them with no consideration for the needless economic costs, which makes me lean toward W.

[6ppc]

Boeing MD-80

I didn't know Boeing manufactured the McDonnell-Douglas MD-80 ;^)