Sky Talk

American agrees to pay $24.9 million to settle FAA safety claims

American Airlines has agreed to pay the Federal Aviation Administration $24.9 million to settle $162 million in safety claims made by the agency.

According to bankruptcy documents filed on Thursday, American agrees to also perform additional training of its maintenance personnel and increase its oversight of third-party maintenance providers.

"This settlement recognizes the many changes, including enhancements to our maintenance and engineering processes, increased training, inspections, and audits that have taken place at American over the past several years that address past FAA concerns," said American spokeswoman Andrea Huguely. "The safety of our people and our customers always has been – and always will be – our top priority."

After American's parent company, AMR Corp., entered bankruptcy, the FAA filed several claims with the bankruptcy court to potentially fine AMR up to $162 million as part of ongoing safety investigations.

One of the claims relates to American's MD-80 fleet which the FAA grounded in 2008 after finding improper wiring around the landing gear of the aircraft. About 3,000 flights were canceled as a result during one week in April 2008. In 2010, the FAA proposed a $24.2 million fine against American.

An FAA spokesman said the agency agreed to reduce the claim amount in the settlement because American had made several safety and compliance improvements that have an estimated value over $50 million.

American did not admit to any wrongdoing as part of the settlement, court documents said.

The settlement with the FAA requires bankruptcy court approval. A hearing is tentatively set for May 30 with objections to the settlement due to the court on May 23.

-Andrea Ahles

 

 

FAA says 1,025 delays on Monday due to staffing problems

The Federal Aviation Administration said there were 1,025 delays on Monday due to the staffing problems with the furloughs of air traffic controllers.

Delays are expected on Tuesday at Miami, Los Angeles, Tampa, Chicago O'Hare and Las Vegas.

Here is the statement from the FAA:

As a result of employee furloughs due to sequestration, the FAA is implementing traffic management initiatives at airports and facilities around the country. Travelers can expect to see a wide range of delays that will change throughout the day depending on staffing and weather related issues. For example, the FAA is experiencing staffing challenges at the Miami and Los Angeles En Route Centers, the Tampa TRACON, and Chicago O’Hare and Tampa Towers. Controllers will space planes farther apart so they can manage traffic with current staff, which will lead to delays at airports including Chicago O’Hare, Las Vegas and Tampa. The FAA also expects delays at a number of other airports because of weather and winds.

The FAA will continue to work with the airlines throughout the day to try and minimize delays for travelers. We encourage all travelers to check their flight status and also to visit fly.faa.gov for the latest airport delay information.

Yesterday more than 1,025 delays in the system were attributable to staffing reductions resulting from the furlough. There were more than 975 additional delays as a result of weather and other factors.

 -Andrea Ahles

Some flights headed for DFW Tuesday morning diverted to Love Field

Delays at Dallas/Fort Worth Airport are possible as the Federal Aviation Adminstration continues to deal with air traffic controller furloughs.

An agency spokesman said nine flights were diverted to Dallas Love Field on Tuesday morning due to "weather and staffing challenges."

"The cold front that moved through this morning brought with it a change in wind direction, as well as mist and rain," said FAA spokesman Lynn Lunsford. "The ceilings at DFW are beginning to improve and we're working to return the diverted flights as soon as possible."

The FAA said controllers at its regional TRACON centers, including the one in Fort Worth, will continue to space planes farther apart to manage the air traffic with its current staff which could lead to delays at DFW, Las Vegas and Los Angeles.

-Andrea Ahles

DFW and Love Field not among airports with serious delays, FAA says

The Federal Aviation Administration does not expect Dallas/Fort Worth Airport or Dallas Love Field to experience serious delays on a daily basis, an agency spokesman said on Monday.

"Depending on the time of day, the weather and traffic conditions at other airports, it's possible that delays still could affect flight schedules," said FAA spokesman Lynn Lunsford in an e-mail statement on Monday, "In general, 10 percent of controllers at any facility are on furlough each day."

The FAA has implemented furloughs of its air traffic controllers as part of the budget cuts related to the federal government's sequestration process.

The agency said there were about 400 delays on Sunday that were attributable to the furloughs.

"The FAA is experiencing staffing challenges at New York Center and TRACON, Fort Worth Center, Jacksonville Center and Los Angeles Center," the FAA said in a statement. "Controllers will space planes farther apart so they can manage traffic with current staff, which will lead to delays at airports including New York's La Guardia Airport."

-Andrea Ahles

American warns travelers of possible delays because of FAA budget cuts

On Saturday, American Airlines warned its passengers that flights may be delayed, starting this week as the Federal Aviation Administration begins furloughing air traffic controllers.

American specifically mentions New York's JFK, Newark, Chicago O'Hare, Fort Lauderdale and San Francisco airports where budget cuts and ground delay programs could hurt the carrier's operations.

Dallas/Fort Worth Airport, American's headquarter hub, is not mentioned as one of the airports that could be hurt by federal government budget sequestration cuts.

Here's the carrier's statement:

As a result of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) sequestration budget cuts that took effect on March 1, American Airlines and American Eagle are urging customers to check their flight status on AA.com before departing for the airport tomorrow, Sunday, April 21. Unfortunately, the FAA has not yet provided specific details to the airlines, making it difficult to communicate exactly how customers will be affected. However, we will make every effort to communicate with our customers as information becomes available.

Airports in the American network that will most likely be affected tomorrow by the sequestration cuts and ground delay programs implemented by the FAA are New York Kennedy (JFK), Newark (EWR), Chicago O’Hare (ORD), Fort Lauderdale (FLL) and San Francisco (SFO). Additionally, other airports in the American network that could be potentially affected by FAA's actions are New York La Guardia (LGA), Philadelphia (PHL), Los Angeles (LAX) and San Diego (SAN). In addition to ground delay programs, the FAA could also implement airspace flow programs that could affect any flight.

-Andrea Ahles

FAA approves Boeing's design changes for the 787 batteries

The Federal Aviation Administration announced Friday that it has approved Boeing's design changes to the 787 battery system.

In a statement, the FAA said it will publish the directive that will allow the 787 aircraft to fly commercially once the modifications are in place.

"The FAA will require airlines that operate the 787 to install containment and venting systems for the main and auxiliary system batteries, and to replace the batteries and their chargers with modified components," the agency said in a statement.

The agency added that it will closely monitor the modifications to the 787s that are operated by U.S. carriers.

Currently, United Airlines is the only domestic carrier that operates the 787. American Airlines currently has 42 787s on order and is scheduled to receive its first 787 aircraft in 2014.

-Andrea Ahles

Alliance Airport receives $15.6 million FAA grant for runway extension

Alliance Airport received a $15.6 million grant from the federal government for its runway extension project at the industrial airport.

The airport, located in north Fort Worth, will use the grant to extend its 16R/34L runway to 11,000 feet. Alliance is currently extending both of its runways, giving the airport the runway space needed to allow fully loaded cargo planes to make non-stop flights to Europe or Asia.

Earlier this year, Alliance was awarded $15.1 million in grants from the FAA for its runway extension project. So far, Alliance has received $215 million from the FAA, Texas Department of Transportation and Tarrant County, and has secured 80 percent of the funding it needs for the project.

"Grant funding from the FAA brings us one step closer to realizing our master plan for Fort Worth Alliance Airport," said Tim Ward, president of the airport.

Alliance expects the runway extensions to be completed by 2016.

-Andrea Ahles

Blog: The sad, "downward spiral of American Airlines"

A strong blog post this morning at Leeham, the site of longtime airline industry observer Scott Hamilton, on the dismal state of affairs at American Airlines.

We’ve been watching with dismay the downward spiral of American Airlines.

This once-great carrier is hardly recognizable any more. It is perplexing to us how a management team that got its training under Robert Crandall and helped create such a great carrier could have gone so wrong.

It's a well written, point-by-point critique of American's strategic errors under Crandall's successors. And it closes with a vote of no confidence in CEO Tom Horton's leadership.

Horton is firm that American won’t merge while in Chapter 11 and it’s pretty clear he doesn’t want to merge at all.

We have no confidence in Horton at the helm, nor in American’s management. If American is to survive, they have to go.

- Bob Cox

 

 

 

 

 

FAA tells pilots it stepped up oversight on American when the carrier filed for bankruptcy

With allegations that pilots are slowing down American Airlines' flight operations by filing last-minute maintenance requests, one American pilot asked the FAA for a little clarification on when he should or should not write up a maintenance issue.

In a response on Thursday, the FAA said it is "conducting specialized Operational Risk surveillance" on American's operations but that it stepped up its oversight when the carrier filed for bankruptcy, not necessarily because of the labor spat going on right now.

"The Federal Aviation Administration began stepped-up surveillance of all aspects of flight operations at American Airlines when the company filed for bankruptcy protection, as the agency has done under similar circumstances involving other air carriers," the FAA said in a statement. "Our primary focus is on ensuring that the company's financial situation does not negatively affect the safety of the traveling public. These efforts will continue until the situation is resolved."

The increased oversight will continue throughout American's bankruptcy and expects the airline, pilots and mechanics groups to all abide by FAA rules, the agency said.

Keep reading for the full letter from the FAA sent to the pilot.

-Andrea Ahles

The AMR Certificate Management Office (AMR CMO) holds FAA oversight responsibility for the American Airlines air carrier operating certificate. This office is actively investigating all aspects of the current events, as well as the attached letter sent by American Airlines to the APA Leadership.

The AMR CMO is currently conducting specialized Operational Risk surveillance on American Airlines operations. This surveillance is focused on frivolous maintenance discrepancy reports, misuse of the approved Minimum Equipment List, lack of adequate maintenance, time escalations, mishandling of aircraft trim settings, crew rest and duty time, disruption of airport ground operations and traffic flow, and falsification of maintenance discrepancy release statements.

This specialized surveillance will remain in effect throughout the bankruptcy process. In short, the CMO is conducting surveillance on all regulatory requirements which are expected to be followed by the airline as well as the maintenance and pilot groups.

If you feel you have been coerced to refrain from reporting maintenance discrepancies, we advise you to report any instance of such to the AMR CMO for investigation. We also encourage you to use the Aviation Safety Action Program to report such instances.

Did electric car batteries lead to fire and loss of 747?

That's certainly one possibility raised by this FlightGlobal piece on the demise of an Asiana Airlines Boeing 747-400F and its crew on July 28, 2011.

The crew reported problems controlling the aircraft and from their first warning to loss of contract only 18 minutes passed. The story has this clue as to a possible origin of the fire that apparently brought down the freighter aircraft.

The main-deck pallets included two which were listed as containing dangerous goods, loaded into the positions designated ML and PR, adjacent to the rear freight door. Among these hazardous shipments were lithium-ion batteries - for use in hybrid electric vehicles - as well as highly-flammable and corrosive liquids, for integrated-circuit manufacture, plus lacquers and paints.

Lithium batteries have long been a concern to operators, and earlier this year the International Civil Aviation Organisation examined new safety standards in the wake of the Asiana crash and the loss of a UPS 747-400F in Dubai after an in-flight fire in September 2010.

- Bob Cox