Posted on 04/09/2008 8:32:47 AM PDT by Santa Fe_Conservative
DALLAS - American Airlines canceled 850 flights Wednesday — more than one-third of its schedule — as it spent a second straight day inspecting the wiring on some of its jets, the same issue that caused the nation's biggest airline to scrub hundreds of flights two weeks ago.
American canceled nearly 500 flights on Tuesday, stranding hundreds of passengers. Federal inspectors found problems with wiring work done two weeks ago, although the airline says safety was never jeopardized.
Tim Wagner, a spokesman for American, said cancellations could continue beyond Wednesday as the airline works on its MD-80 jets.
American uses the MD-80s mostly on mid-range flights, particularly from hub airports in Dallas and Chicago. Wagner said 208 of Wednesday's cancellations would occur at Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport and 138 at Chicago O'Hare.
(Excerpt) Read more at news.yahoo.com ...
This almost seems like payback...but to whom and for what?
I wonder if they will get fined 10 million like SW did?
What sort of financial shape is AA in? Coming on the heels of three sudden airline bankruptcies as this does, I have to wonder if there’s more going on here than is being reported.
I flew three times last week on AA - all MD’s and had NO problem...they were on time with departures, arrivals, and baggage delivery was quick even in chicago and DFW...
I rarely have problems that are not weather related with my flights on AA or almost any airline. Guess I’m just lucky as I read a lot about problems...perhaps we expect too much of an overloaded system bogged down by these security measures, etc.
Oh great. I am flying via DFW in a few weeks. Hope I get where I need to go!
Those MD-80s (Super 80s and their relatives, the DC9) are OLD birds, particularly the DC9s. Northwest has allegedly rebuilt the DC9s to the point where there are not the current wiring issues. But the Delta MD 80s and American Super 80s are old (and generally unpleasant to fly in). Not surprising that wiring issues arise.
Also, Southwest and United fly some really old 737-200 (now out of service) and 737-300. Same issues with wiring.
I think they may be doing these to avoid getting dinged like Southwest did. They’re precautionary inspections.
I’ve never flown on one of American’s birds but I’ve flown on Delta’s MD-88s a bunch...they’re OK. Not the lap of luxury, and occasionally showing their 10-15 year age, but not bad.
}:-)4
AA doesnt have any of the DC9’s.....They starting buying the “Mad Dogs” in 1983ish and put in the largest order for any aircraft type for any airline - 320ish - so this AA harder than anyone....
.
They are workhorse aircraft and have done good for AA.
Those planes are seriously old - many of them over 30 years old. But I'm not sure there's an airplane I would rather fly on. I find them comfortable, and any airplane with a 30-year record of safety - per individual plane - is OK by me.
I’m supposed to fly to Austin on Friday for my niece’s wedding. I’m currently on hold with AA to find out about my flight. I’ve been on hold for about 20 minutes.
The FAA mandated the changes and gave the carriers TWO years to do the work. So AA sits on their hands and only does the work when they realize the FAA is going to fine them if they miss the deadline. So ‘screw the customers, let them eat cake, and headphones will be available for $5’.
( take it with a big grain of salt, this is a left wing eurowennie site)
March 27, 2008 Search For ‘Suitcase Nuke’ In US Grounds Hundreds Of Planes By: Sorcha Faal, and as reported to her Western Subscribers FSB reports circulating in the Kremlin today are detailing what is described as a ‘frantic search’ occurring in the United States over what their Military Nuclear experts believes is a ‘loose’ suitcase sized nuclear weapon believed to have been smuggled into the American commercial air transportation system, and which has caused chaos in the US as hundreds of flights have been ‘suddenly’ cancelled leaving tens of thousands of passengers stranded. The concerns of the Americans, these reports continue, is based upon what is called a ‘hot reading’ received from a US Air Force Satellite monitoring nuclear ‘signatures’ over North America and are under the control of the US Department of Energy's National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA). The nuclear signature picked up by the US Air Force, these reports continue, was located above the US State of Texas at an estimated height of over 20,000 feet, and which, these reports continue, would be consistent with military flights of American ‘deep secret’ aircraft or the planned transferring of nuclear weapons or nuclear weapon material. Russian Military Analysts are concerned about these latest events occurring in the United States due to the American War Leaders continued waging of subversive warfare against the Chinese, and which has begun in a typical tripartite attack targeting China’s vast hoard of US dollars, the CIA supported uprising in Tibet, and the raising of fears of nuclear weapon components ‘mistakenly’ sent to Taiwan by the US.
In the FAA spot checks that began on April 7, inspectors found that the attachment of the wiring bundles didn't match agency specifications such as the orientation of certain clamps and ties, Garton said.Mechanics "had taken certain latitudes" in the work, Garton said, not realizing the "greater emphasis on strict compliance" at the FAA since U.S. lawmakers began raising questions last month about its oversight of airline maintenance.
emphasis added
Anyone who's ever dealt with overzealous building inspectors, government regulators with burrs up their ****s, can't help but think someone(s) at the FAA got slapped over the SW problems and concluded, "Okay, we'll show them!" AA was just the biggest, fattest, easiest target.
There's reasonable, which is safe. And there's strictly by the book, which means the "orientation" is differs from the book, even though the guy who wrote "the book" might have been haphazard about the orientation.
Rather than have a bunch of worthless Senators who never made a payroll or added value to this nation in their lives grill airline execs, why not see just what the FAA was all fired upset about, what was accepted practice in the past, whether this was worth disrupting the flights of a quarter of a million people, and what kind of impact this might have on AA's survival.
I wouldn't be mad at American. I would be mad at the FAA. The FAA doesn't exactly have a stunning record...
FAA Looks To Improve Flight Delays (8/27/07) - Hmmm, interesting approach they're taking.
FAA Keeps Screwing Up (10/10/07)
Outdated Air Traffic Control System (9/12/07)
Of course all of the problems AA is experiencing plays into the hands of the government socialists who want to re-regulate the airlines.
I'm far more likely to give AA the benefit of the doubt than the FAA. Personally, I've got 1.5 million miles on AA and have been maintained gold or platinum status for nearly 20 years. It's a great airline, though not without a few warts (that goes for any company that big). I fly a dozen carriers from time to time, but prefer American.
The number one reason I fly AA is the people at the counter seem to genuinely try and be helpful. I've messed up a lot more than AA over the years (e.g., missed flights, mistakenly booked a ticket for 12:30 a.m. instead of 12:30 p.m., etc.).
About the only thing AA has done was ground an American Eagle flight over the weather (so I got a Flight Interrupt Manifest and took a white knuckled flight on a Delta puddle jumper), keep a plane on the tarmac for a couple of hours (probably because of the FAA), and move me to a later flight from time to time (far, far rarer than my moving to an earlier flight).
When the knee jerk reaction of Freepers is to blame the "dirty corporation" and assume goodness and purity on the part of the government, I fear for the future of our country.
I find that I can never shed a tear when an airline goes out of business. After 26 years of traveling with an average of 120+ flights/year the airlines have gone from high class, good service, on time performance to low class, the only service is like how a bull services a cow, and extremely poor on time performance.
The only thing an airline COULD offer me is a quick point A to point B however they cannot even perform that simple task. They have more excuses than democrats have illegal votes.
The ticket person was very helpful on the phone last night. I felt for her. She said someone at work was so tired that they literally fell asleep on the floor at work.
However, I was on hold for an hour and a half last night regarding my flight.
It’s not supposed to be canceled, and I’m screwed if it is.
From New Delays Loom as F.A.A. Expands Airliner Review ( NYT 4/10/08 ):
The F.A.A. and airlines are responding, in part, to heightened scrutiny by Congress, led by Representative James L. Oberstar, Democrat of Minnesota and chairman of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, who is a longtime activist on aviation safety.
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