American Airlines engine fire due to unapproved maintenance practices

Safety investigators traced a 2007 American Airlines engine fire to unapproved maintenance practices that eluded the carrier's quality-assurance auditors, the National Transportation Safety Board disclosed now.

The September fire happened shortly after American Airlines Flight 1400 departed Lambert-St. Louis International Airport. The pilots returned to the airport without injuries or fatalities to any of the plane's crew or 138 passengers.

Yet the pilots also prolonged the fire by failing to follow a checklist that leads them through steps during such an emergency, the safety board said. Accident investigators said the crew became distracted and failed to quickly shut off fuel to the damaged engine, causing a loss of hydraulic pressure. That led to problems deploying the front landing gear.

"It was a series of people taking shortcuts that accumulated on this particular day into what could have been a much more catastrophic incident," said board member Kitty Higgins.

American has been under closer regulatory scrutiny since last year, when it grounded hundreds of McDonnell Douglas MD-80 jets following federal safety audits. The Federal Aviation Administration last month started a three-month audit of American's safety procedures.

Safety board members said their review was limited to the engine fire, which occurred on an MD-82.

"There was a host of serious problems that ... when you added them all together could have been extremely catastrophic to the point where life could have been lost," acting board Chairman Mark V. Rosenker said.

During the week before the accident, the jet's left engine failed to start on multiple occasions, the board said. Mechanics repeatedly used an unapproved tool, such as a screwdriver, to open a valve that manually starts the engine, the board found. Boeing warned carriers in 1997 that using the wrong tool could deform a pin on the start valve. The damaged pin triggered a malfunction that sent sparks into the metal cover that contains the engine, where there was probably some kind of fuel leak, the board said.

The safety board determined that American mechanics replaced the start valve six times but missed the cause of the failed engine starts: a worn-out, stainless steel air filter. American's audit team also failed to identify the cause of the problem, the NTSB said.

"Where they have found deficiencies in how our personnel performed, we are going to strengthen our training," said Tim Wagner, an American spokesman.

American has started to replace components of the start valve on all MD-80s and plans to complete the work in 2010, Wagner said. The carrier has also increased staffing on its audit team to monitor more mechanical work.

American Airlines Landed Safely after Emergency

An American Airlines flight landed safely at Eppley Airfield after a scare in the air near Omaha.

Around 9:45 on Monday night, emergency crews at Eppley scrambled into place, after getting an alert that the flight was on its way. Flight 1708 was en-route from Las Vegas to Chicago, when it lost cabin pressure near Omaha.

American Airlines told that the pilot dropped the plane's altitude from 25,000 feet to 14,000 feet and dropped the oxygen masks in the cabin as a precaution. There were 140 passengers and five crew members on board.

The plane landed safely in Omaha just before ten o'clock on Monday night.

American Airlines moved the passengers to another available airplane at Eppley, and they continued on to Chicago. The airline will move another aircraft to Omaha in the morning to replace the one that headed to Chicago. By luck no one was hurt.

American Airlines Flight slips off taxiway at O'Hare

A plane taxiing to take off at O'Hare International Airport this evening hit an icy patch and slid sideways onto a grassy surface at the airport, airline and city officials said.

American Airlines Flight 1544 was scheduled to leave for Washington, D.C., and slid off the taxiway after departing the gate at 6:42 p.m.

Airline spokeswoman Mary Frances Fagan said the jet was not going very fast as it was trying to turn to get to the runway, and only the left main nose tire went off the pavement.

There were no injuries to the 54 passengers and crew of five aboard, said Fagan.

A city Department of Aviation representative confirmed there were no injuries, and said Chicago Fire Department and Police responded to the scene.

Passengers were removed and taken to the terminal by bus, where they would be placed aboard other flights, Fagan said.

Runway 22L was temporarily closed due to the incident, but flight operations were not impacted because other runways remained open, according to the Department of Aviation.

The cause of the incident has not been determined and is under investigation.

American Airlines Drops Long-Held Policy for "Non-Elite Status Member"

American Airlines announced Monday that for "non-elite status members," it will drop its long-held policy to give fliers a minimum of 500 miles. Starting Jan. 1, those customers will get only the miles they actually fly.

So if you fly 357 miles in the future on an American Airlines flight and you're not AAdvantage Gold, Platinum or Executive Platinum, you're only going to get 357 miles added to your AAdvantage account.

In addition, "any applicable bonuses" will be based on actual mileage as well. If you're participating in a promotion that gives you a 50 percent bonus on miles, it'll be 50 percent of 357 miles, not 50 percent of 500 miles.

"Similarly, elite status qualifying miles and points earned for travel on eligible flights will also be based on the actual miles earned,"" AAdvantage members were told. "AAdvantage Executive Platinum, AAdvantage Platinum and AAdvantage Gold members are exempt from this change."

That seems to mean that if you're an elite member, it won't be any harder to pile up enough miles to become an elite member. But if you're non-elite, it'll be harder to get into that exclusive club if you fly a lot of trips under 500 miles.

Other airlines this year have implemented an actual-miles policy, replacing the industry standard of 500-mile minimums. Among them have been US Airways (March 1) and United Airlines (July 1).

Continental Airlines will do away with the 500-mile minimum Jan. 1, 2009, for tickets purchased Nov. 15 and afterward.

Delta Air Lines and Northwest Airlines appear at present to be keeping the 500-mile minimum.

American Airlines Announced an Order for 42 Boeing 787-9

Even though most global carriers tighten their belts for the bumpy economic times ahead, at least one US carrier is planning for the next upturn. American Airlines announced an order for 42 787-9s on 15 October, with an option on 58 more. Delivery is due from 2012 onwards.

The deal was hailed by the carrier’s president cargo, Dave Brooks, as “great news” for cargo. “These aircraft are the long-range, intercontinental 787s, and since they are extremely fuel-efficient, we will be able to carry a lot of cargo on them,” he says.

Indeed, Brooks says the new aircraft will be even better cargo performers than the 777, which currently form the backbone of American’s fleet. It has 47 of the aircraft, and they are often regarded as mini-freighters because of their enormous belly capacity. But Brooks says the 787-9 will have four more LD-3 positions than the 777s, and the fuel efficiency to allow them to be filled.

Boeing says that with 20 per cent more fuel efficiency, the aircraft could provide up to 45 per cent more cargo revenue capacity than comparable aircraft today. The 787-9’s range of 8,500 miles also comfortably tops the 777’s 5,500-6,000nm maximum.

Where the 787-9s will be deployed has not yet been decided – 2012 is after all a long time in the future and the economic outlook uncertain – but replacement of the carrier’s 72 767s is likely to be a priority.

However, AMR chairman and chief executive officer, Gerard Arpey, also hopes that the 787-9s will be used to expand into new international markets, particularly if American, Iberia and British Airways succeed in their current application to the US DOT for antitrust immunity.

American will be getting the aircraft at a rate of six a year. The fact that it has got such early slots on the much-delayed 787 programme has raised eyebrows – even Air New Zealand, launch customer for the 787-9, is not getting its first aircraft until around the same time.

The maiden flight of the 787 is supposed to take place in the fourth quarter of this year, though the current machinists strike, which started in early September, must cast some doubt on that, as well as on the timing of the first delivery to All Nippon Airways, due for next August.

At the same time as American unveiled its new order, it announced a US$360m net loss for the third quarter, following a $284m fall in the second quarter ($1.4bn including exceptional items) and $328m in the first. Brooks says the results were “in line with expectations”, however, and the airline ended the quarter with $5.1bn in cash.

Cargo traffic, measured in ton miles, fell one per cent in the quarter to 509 million, while revenues rose 17.3 per cent to $230m. Altogether, cargo traffic is down 1.7 per cent for the year-to-date, while revenue is up 13.6 per cent.

American Airlines Says No to Inflight Pron

The captain has turned on the "no-porn" sign, at least when it comes to using Wi-Fi on American Airlines.

The Dallas Morning News reports that American now plans to filter out pornographic content on its inflight Wi-Fi service, which it began offering on some cross-country flights Aug. 20. If the trial run works out, the service will be expanded to other flights.

American originally intended to have its flight attendants make sure that passengers did not go to pornographic sites, but, according to Gothamist, the flight attendants did not want to have to take on that responsibility.

Contactmusic.com reports that Corey Caldwell of the Association of Flight Attendants told Wired.com, "We're glad the airlines have responded to our concerns and to those of passengers."

The Morning News also reported that Delta Air Lines plans to filter out porn as well when it debuts its inflight Wi-Fi.

Airlines Says No to Inflight Pron

Air travellers those who travel long flight will love in-flight Internet access to get some relief. It lets people check email, read Wired.com, watch the stock market collapse and enjoy their favorite scenes from On Golden Blonde and Forest Hump.

Airlines, worried the wi-fi services they're rolling out will turn planes into flying porn theaters, are installing filters to prevent passengers from surfing smut. The decision is hailed by flight attendants -- who've so far been responsible for preventing porn peeping -- and by activists concerned that children and other passengers might be subjected to objectionable material. They also worry unfettered onboard Internet access poses a security and safety risk.

American Airlines says it will "implement technology to filter pornographic content over it's Gogo in-flight Internet service." It's an about-face for the airline, which had said it would leave the nannying to flight attendants. The course correction was prompted in part by the vocal concerns of flight attendants who didn't want to be morality cops after the airline started offering in-flight wi-fi last month.

"Flight attendants are on board to provide security and safety for passengers, not to monitor their Internet usage," Corey Caldwell of the Association of Flight Attendants told Wired.com. "We're glad the airlines have responded to our concerns and to those of passengers."

But at least one privacy rights advocate opposes the idea and says blocking porn is the first step down a slippery slope. "I don't think it makes much sense," Marc Rotenberg, executive director of the Electronic Privacy Information Center, told ITWorld.com. Filters do nothing to keep people from viewing inappropriate material stored on their laptops and open the door to blocking other content airlines -- or others -- might deem inappropriate, he says. "It's so easy, once that precedent is set, to broaden ... the kind of information blocks that might be imposed."

Airline cabin crews aren't the only ones worried about airborne porn. Girls Against Porn lobbied American to install filters, urging the airline to consider the harm inappropriate content might have on passengers and citing a particularly disgusting incident that has resulted in a $200,000 lawsuit against American. "The airlines risk having this happen repeatedly if the Internet isn't filtered," Girls Against Porn said in a statement.

Delta Airlines, which rolls out in-flight wi-fi later this year, told the Atlanta Journal Constitution it will filter inappropriate content. "Blocking will be limited in scope and will be for sites that few, if any, would question are inappropriate to be viewed on an aircraft," spokesman Kent Landers said, addressing concerns about filters known to block non-erotic sites such as Vanity Fair.


The two airlines are working with Aircell, which provides the wi-fi technology, to find a filter, though the company has yet come up with a solution. "We want to be good partners to the customers coming to us with these types of concerns," a company source told Wired.com. "We're working with them to come up with an effective solution."

When they do, passengers will have to find another way to occupy themselves on those long-haul flights.

American Airlines Flight Attendants Handed out Pillow to Passengers

The Association of Professional Flight Attendants members handed out inflatable pillows to passengers at Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport and three other major airports to try to win customer backing in the union's contract talks with American.

"As negotiations progress, we want passengers to be behind the flight attendants, let the company know that we do a hard job, that they know we're professionals, that they're glad we show up for work every day," union negotiator Diana Dunn said. The union wants passengers to help push American to give flight attendants a good contract with no concessions, Ms. Dunn said. The two sides began contract talks this summer.

The pillows, and the accompanying literature, carried the union's "PAX for PAX," or "Peace for Passengers," message, with PAX representing both the Latin word for peace and airline lingo for passenger. The company has complained that its labor costs are higher than those of many other U.S. airlines, the union is trying to win back major concessions in pay, benefits and work rules that employee groups gave American in 2003 to stay out of bankruptcy.

American expressed no unhappiness about Friday's demonstrations outside the airport terminals at D/FW, Miami, Los Angeles and New York LaGuardia. "We respect the rights of organized labor to conduct public demonstrations and to distribute information to customers and the public," American spokeswoman Tami McLallen said.

"We have great flight attendants who take excellent care of our customers, and we look forward to continuing to work collaboratively with the APFA to construct a contract that addresses flight attendants' needs and positions the company for long-term success," she said. American is currently in talks with its three major unions – APFA, the Allied Pilots Association and Transport Workers Union.

American Airlines Flight Undergone Turbulence

At least six passengers who complained of bumps and bruises from turbulence Friday on an American Airlines flight from Argentina, authorities said. One passenger was transferred on a stretcher, said Miami-Dade County Fire Rescue spokesman Arnold Piedrahita.

Flight 908 was making a descent into the airport before 7 a.m. when it hit severe turbulence at 30,000 feet, said Tim Smith, a spokesman for Fort Worth, Texas-based American Airlines spokesman. The "fasten seat belt" light was on.

Six people — two flight attendants and four passengers — were taken to the hospital with back and neck injuries. Their conditions were not immediately available.

"Flight attendants, at that altitude, would still be up for duty," Smith said. He could not say if the passengers were walking around the cabin or in their seats.

The Boeing 777 carrying 246 passengers and 14 crew members from Buenos Aires landed safely, Smith said. American flight attendants were scheduled to picket at the airport Friday morning to protest poor working conditions. That protest was planned before the incident.

American Airlines Flight Attendants with Pillows

American Airlines flight attendants, who are negotiating a new contract with American management, will be handing out pillows Friday at Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport, New York LaGuardia, Miami and Los Angeles to draw passenger attention to their efforts.

The pillows will have "PAXforPAX" printed on them, "pax" being Latin for "peace" and airline-speak for "passenger. Says the Association of Professional Flight Attendants. The campaign focuses on improving air travel for both passengers and flight attendants. APFA is in negotiations with the carrier to fix some of the most pressing issues facing flight attendants including improving working conditions, restoring pay and overhauling the flight attendant's scheduling systems.

Despite making sacrifices to stave off bankruptcy in 2003, American flight attendant's pay and benefits have been reduced by 33% while workload has increased 47%, resulting in less time with their families. Meanwhile, American Airlines executives have rewarded themselves with $366 million in bonuses over the last three years.

Emergency Landing of American Airlines MD-80

An American Airlines MD-80 landed safely Thursday at San Diego International Airport after the pilot declared an emergency because a warning light indicated a problem with one of its two engines, airline and safety officials said.

American Flight 1802 had just taken off from San Diego, bound for Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport, when the warning light turned on, said airline spokesman Tim Smith. The pilot returned to San Diego to land the aircraft.

The pilot powered back one of the engines during the landing, but did not turn it off as was previously reported by San Diego fire officials. There were no injuries reported to the 140 passengers and five crew members on board, he said.

Smith said the aircraft was being inspected because it landed with a heavy load of fuel. The aircraft, which was scheduled to make the trip to Dallas later in the day, was also awaiting parts to fix the problem indicated by the light.

He said some passengers were accommodated on other flights and others were waiting to take the delayed flight.

Filter on American Airlines In-Flight Internet

American Airlines says it will filter an in-flight Internet service to block pornography sites, reversing course after complaints from flight attendants and passengers.

American Airlines was working with technology provider Aircell to allow filtering of its nascent Internet service. American Airlines, the nation's largest carrier, said it hasn't gotten reports of passengers viewing "inappropriate content" on the Gogo in-flight service but said filtering was "an appropriate measure to take".

The airline launched Internet service in August on some of its Boeing 767 jets that fly between New York and San Francisco, Los Angeles and Miami in a six-month trial.

American Airlines Unions are becming Restless

American Airlines unions are growing even more impatient with the pace, or non-pace, of contract talks.

First, several Transport Workers Union local presidents have written letters expressing frustration and unhappiness with the TWU international leadership as well as American. And the Allied Pilots Association is grousing about the National Mediation Board.

Jim Iuliano, president of Local 562 in New York, started out a letter to TWU International President Jim Little by saying: "I've come to learn over the many months I spent negotiating that we lack leadership and direction."

A Record Year for American Airlines Pilot Retirements

The Allied Pilots Association (APA) says this is a record year for retirements for the American Airlines pilots. And most of the retirements are coming before age 60.

So far this year, 430 pilots have retired from American Airlines. That is a single-year record and we still have four months to go.
Of the retirements, only 11 were normal (age 60) retirements and 23 were late (past age 60). The remaining 396 were early retirements, although a significant number of those were 58-59 years of age.

With the economic turmoil this year, many of the recent retirees have reported that the retirement value lock-in feature, a contractual protection AMR management wants to eliminate, was an invaluable financial safety net. Stay tuned as the retirement march continues through the end of the year.

That lock-in feature lets pilots say they want to retire in 90 days, and the value of their defined-contribution pension fund is locked in at its value at the beginning of the period. After the 90 days, they can withdraw their retirement papers or go forward -- and with the stock market going down, a lot of them are going forward.

American Airlines add additional flights to Brazil

American Airlines will add several new flights to Brazil for the upcoming winter travel season, including four weekly non-stops between New York City and Rio de Janeiro.

The New York-Rio nonstop flights are in addition to American's previously announced plans to add three new destinations to Brazil in early November.

Additionally, American will operate a fourth daily nonstop flight between Miami and Sao Paulo from December 18, 2008, through January 30, 2009. This will give American 28 weekly nonstop flights between Miami and Sao Paulo during the winter season.

Also, American plans to operate one additional weekly flight between Miami and Belo Horizonte from December 21, 2008, through February 23, 2009

In-Flight Access to Adult Sites - American Airlines

Online pornography will be blocked on American Airlines flights if a flight attendants union gets its way.
The Association of Professional Flight Attendants has asked American Airlines to explore ways to block passengers' access to adult Web sites while using a new in-flight wireless Internet service on transcontinental flights, union spokesman Frank Bastien said.

American Airlines began testing an in-flight wireless Internet system on 15 transcontinental flights in August. The system allows passengers to log on to the Internet at their seats, with no restrictions on what sites they can access, company spokesman Tim Smith said.

It's nothing new for passengers to view pornographic material at their seats during flights. People have been able to take adult magazines and DVDs onto flights without restrictions, and the union is not objecting to those materials. Crews have successfully managed to resolve instances of other passengers taking offense to such materials. Unrestricted Internet access for passengers could potentially put flight attendants in unusually delicate situations.

VOIP in American Airlines

Aircell, the company whose technology is bringing the Internet to airplanes, said that it could block voice over Internet protocol calls, but Wired reports that workarounds already exist.

Just days after American Airlines made the big-deal announcement that it had rolled out in-flight internet on certain routes, hackers have found a way to use the service for voice-over-internet protocol calls, despite promises from the airline that its air-to-ground system, developed by Aircell, would block voice calls. Wired seems to think that passengers will inevitably be able to make voice calls once WiFi becomes common on airlines, but I doubt it.

It's not that I think anyone will be be able to stop hackers from devising technology that can make telephone calls. I just don't think passengers will stand for it. If calls are technically forbidden -- and they will be -- then passengers will notify flight attendants the second some
person tries to make a call.