US Airline Groundings End, But Scrutiny Tougher

Reuters

US airlines can expect tougher safety scrutiny, but the worst disruptions from a government crackdown appear to be over, for now, following two weeks of aircraft groundings and mass flight cancellations. With American Airlines running a normal schedule on Sunday after canceling more than 3,000 flights last week to re-inspect and re-secure wiring on 300 MD-80s, and rivals having sidelined planes for similar or other problems since mid-March, the immediate shakeout driven by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) appears to have run its course. The FAA is still investigating a handful of airlines for possible lapses in maintenance as part of an unprecedented industrywide review of compliance with its safety orders. But preliminary results of the audit, a response to congressional and other assertions this spring of some industry indifference to compliance and ineffective agency oversight, show 99 percent adherence, the agency said. "Based on the high compliance we saw, we're optimistic we're not going to see problems like this again," FAA spokeswoman Laura Brown said.
FAA officials expressed public concern about compliance with a 2006 MD-80 wiring order. The agency worried improperly safeguarded wheel-well wires could be damaged over time and trigger an electrical short, possibly igniting a fire. American twice failed to satisfy FAA requirements on this issue. Delta Air Lines and Alaska Air grounded planes and canceled flights to address MD-80 wiring, but they, too, have addressed FAA concerns, both said. American and Delta, with 130 MD-series planes, comprise the bulk of MD-80 flying by US carriers. Alaska is phasing out the planes and has just a handful in service. Robert Mann, an airline consultant, sees an industry engaged in a very messy transition from a relatively lax environment for verifying compliance with FAA safety directives to a more rigorous approach. "There are thousands of directives out there that require absolute compliance," Mann said. "When the FAA casts a wider net and looks at other (safety directives) and other planes, I think whether it's next week or next month we could see another episode with another aircraft type with other operators," Mann said. John Goglia, a former mechanic and past member of the National Transportation Safety Board, is a recognized expert on maintenance. He believes Washington politics too heavily influenced FAA's crackdown on American and criticized the groundings, but he said other issues need fast attention. "I hope these events drive the FAA and the industry and manufacturers to review their maintenance manuals and how they are written," Goglia said. How American maintenance personnel interpreted the FAA order on MD-80 wiring is a key question in that case. Goglia said mechanics are often stuck with overly complex instructions to a problem that requires immediate and correct action.