MX shortcuts still exist in 2019?
 

“Airline mechanics say they feel pressured to overlook potential safety problems”

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=yYVuGxqdjkw

Couldn’t access the video.

So... where’s the drama. The jet is transferred to Ops after Mx signs and hands the logbook to the flight crew. In simple terms, the Park Brake now belongs to the flightcrew. It sremains illuminated until any unresolved Mx issues are resolved.

You’re assuming the unresolved maintenance issue is obvious to the crew while sitting in the cockpit, after the walk around and checklist are complete.

If it wasn’t put in the logbook, or a write up was signed off as being resolved, even though it wasn’t fixed, it might not be obvious to the crew.

How am I supposed to know if the company is pressuring Mx into taking shortcuts? AA191 was caused by negligent MX shortcuts and the crew would have had 0 knowledge of it. That sort of stuff doesn’t show up in a logbook.

While I agree with your content. 191 had a big x-wind component (Long runway 32) 10's were notorious for downwind engine farts. I was there that day and they were calling occ'l severe below 10,000. I landed on 4, pretty much into the wind.I had to wait for him to clear the alley, tragic.You are right, they had no idea.

If you can’t access the YouTube link, here’s the same article.

https://www.cbsnews.com/amp/news/airline-mechanics-feel-pressured-by-managers-to-overlook-potential-safety-problems-cbs-news-investigation/

MX shortcuts still plagues the industry
 

“Airline mechanics say they feel pressured to overlook potential safety problems”

https://www.cbsnews.com/amp/news/airline-mechanics-feel-pressured-by-managers-to-overlook-potential-safety-problems-cbs-news-investigation/

Don't overlook the fact that the mechanics making the complaint are in contract negotiations.

Are shortcuts taken in 2019? Yes.

My last starter failure occurred thanks to no fluid in a freshly installed starter assembly.

Does maintenance have pressure to do things faster? Yes. Does maintenance have pressure to overlook? Yes. Do mechanics get pressured to hide issues or take "shortcuts?" Yes.

Does this surprise you?

Good morning. The sun is up. This is the world in the light of day. Dreamtime is over.

In the maintenance world, everyone is swimming naked, the tide seldom goes out. The regulatory system chops maintenance tasks into small pieces so that its nearly impossible for any individual to cause a major failure. This is also what makes aircraft maintenance unskilled labor. The current labor pool is the weaker than ever. Most of the kids getting A&Ps now were the ones considered "at risk".

Should maintenance have pressure to do things faster? No.

Should maintenance have pressure to overlook? No.

Should mechanics get pressured to hide issues or take “shortcuts?” No.

Does this surprise me? No.

Should we as pilots still accept this as a reality without attempting to make a change, considering all the fatal crashes in history caused by faulty MX practices? Absolutely not and if you do, which it sounds like you are that person, it’s best you step away from the controls because clearly something is wrong upstairs.

Even the current accidents, such as the SWA engine failure or even any of the runway overruns doesn’t give MX practices a free pass. You don’t know. You only know what that logbook is showing. Not what the CEO’s pocketbook is showing.

Are we all humans that make mistakes? Yes.

Should they be intentional “mistakes” putting hundreds of lives at risk for a couple more pennies of profit? Again, absolutely not.

Unfortunately the best thing that can happen for a company in a severe accident is for the pilots to suffer fatalities. This way everything can be blamed on them.

Will the FAA change this or hold these people accountable? No.

Why not? Well, you clearly don’t have a clue on how this government really operates.

Will the FAA change this? Yes, when encountered. Will the FAA hold people accountable? Yes, of course, and they do.

How do I know? I've been working in aircraft maintenance for a long time, and have dealt with it at most levels in the industry. A lot of years working with the government, too, including a lot of maintenance. How long have you maintained aircraft, then?

Let's just get rid of all regulatory agencies and let corporations run the show unfettered.

Who's your Rollerball Team?

When encountered? Did you read the article or watch the news clip?

Most of these guys that came forward said they have contacted the FAA and/or NTSB investigators....

The ‘safety guy’ that was interviewed kept repeating the same verbiage and couldn’t even answer the reporters question honestly. Not to mention the guilty/nervous look on his face.

I wouldn’t have any faith in the FAA. Watch the documentary “flying cheap.” The FAA is essentially paid off/bribed by the big airlines... welcome to reality.

But, then again, time and time it shows that all this stuff could be happening right infront of your face and people would still choose to not believe it.

And yet, flying has never been safer.

Corporations do run the show.. money will buy anybody.

OR we can have corrupt-free government agencies.

Even better, maybe a government that’s not controlled by corporations for the benefits of thier CEO’s and the 1 percent.

Let’s try that!

It only takes one plane with 300 people onboard to go down because management wanted to save a few bucks. Will that be yours? Will it be mine?

SWA just averted a major catastrophe that could have ended up a lot worse.... Crew had no signs whatsoever. Go figure this investigation is into SWA and AA MX, well look at that!

So you’re telling me all these whistleblowers don’t make you uncomfortable? You think it’s just for show? Just some disgruntled employees that are trying to get back at their supervisors? You refuse to believe independent investigations?

Whatever happens, happens I guess.

Yes. When encountered. The FAA aggressively pursues enforcement action, and always has. Go ahead. Ask me how I know.

Then again, how would you know? You watched a video clip? How many decades of private, repair station, charter, fractional, airline and government maintenance do you have again?

There you go. You're a conspiracy theorist who knows what he knows because you saw what you thought was guilt on a guy's face on a video. Expertise incarnate. Outstanding.

You wouldn't? Or you don't?

You don't based on your extensive interaction and personal experience, or what you saw on a conspiracy video?

Oh. Conspiracy video. Another honest to god conspiracy theorist. Absolutely outstanding.

Tell me, expert, how do you account for the longest running fatality free period in US aviation history. A unprecedented fluke, perhaps? Did your conspiracy video explain that?

That’s not even a complete sentence, let alone a thought. I see a profitable future for you in conspiracy websites (think “Infowars.”)

Please, tell us your thoughts on vaccines.

Lol conspiracy video? So you think all those regional guys that lived through those times are just one big conspiracy theory? All those pilots must have been living in some sort of alternative reality then huh?

All the NTSB guys and FAA whistleblower’s are risking their careers by just making things up huh?

Sounds legit....

Define “conspiracy theorist”......

I’m gonna guess you’re atleast over 40 y/o and have never lived anywhere outside of the great USA.

Why are vaccine manufactures federally protected under law against lawsuits from patients that have endured life threatening injuries/death as a result of vaccination?

Why does the country with the greatest healthcare system in the world have the sickest population?

Why is every other person on some kind of pharmaceutical drug?

Why is a 5 year old kid who chooses not to pay attention to something in school diagnosed with ADHD and put on medication immediately?

Why does the US have the largest depressed population and suicide rates in the world?

Why have there been so many “conspiracy theories” in the past that have just coincidently turned to “conspiracy facts?”

Define what a “conspiracy theorist” is?

Stabapch.

Ironically, same definition for troll.

You're not a pilot, are you?

https://www.airlinepilotforums.com/a...uppressed.html

Reynolds Wrap loves him.

Great diversion for someone who can’t swallow the truth.

“Conspiracy theorist” was a term coined by the CIA back in the 1950’s. To label the American population that choose to question and criticize the ‘mainline narrative.’ AKA not willing to follow the rest of the sheep.

Are you former military? I’m guessing you are and that explains a lot. You have succumbed to the great brainwashing machine. There’s no turning back for ya now. Good luck.

Make sure you stay tuned to CNN and hopefully the Russian Navy off the Atlantic coast doesn’t keep you up at night.

This one's not long for the banning, who steps away from his regional posting just long enough to spout conspiracy drivel.

There's still room on the ignore list.

C’mon Goggles, those are some legit questions I gave ya. Give me some answers!

The signal to noise ratio is reduced by at least one order of magnitude.

Again, great diversion.

Your personal ignore list? Sorry that you’re so brainwashed you choose to ignore reality.

This is not going away any time soon. Whistle Blower complaints are made in the Federal Courts. Rules of Federal Court procedure apply with regards to evidence, cross examination, and perjury. The fact that the parties are in contract negotiations will be factored in by the judge.



Over the last three years, our law firm has handled thirty-eight whistle blower cases for aircraft maintenance employees at SWA and American Airlines, Inc.(AA or American), filed with the Federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) pursuant to Section 519 of the Wendell H. Ford Aviation Investment and Reform act of the 21st Century, 49U.S.C.4212, commonly referred to as AIR21. Existing Federal protocols require OSHA to focus on employment discrimination issues present in the complaint, while the FAA is required to conduct an expedited investigation of the operational safety issue presented in the complaint.


The fact that there are 38 cases and at least some of them have survived motions to dismiss means that AA and SWA are going to trial over the issues in the complaint. There may be additional evidence such as ASAP reports or use of the applicable internal safety reporting systems.


Both companies are unionized so any assertions by the company that they did not engage in retaliation means that their actions would have to have been done under the discipline sections of the applicable contracts.



The burden of proof lies with the plaintiff, but thirty eight cases are a lot.

When encountered? Did you read the article or watch the news clip?

Most of these guys that came forward said they have contacted the FAA and/or NTSB investigators....

The law firm handling these cases has had to goad the FAA via letters to the DOT and Senators to get the FAA to move on the investigations.

https://www.local591.com/docs/FAA-OIG%20Letter[2].pdf

Most maintenance managers are former military crew chiefs or just managers without so much as a mechanics certificate. They will say and do anything to make themselves look good. I wish I could convey how dysfunctional and low rent that part of the aviation community really is. The whole maintenance system is able to function because its designed to accommodate retarded twelve year olds as workers. Even "good" places are like working at a car wash. After wrenching for way too long, I know there's a big game of Russian roulette being played.

Why do we have so few fatalities (in the US)?

Why are the last several fatal airline crashes 100% (regional) pilot error? You have to go back almost 20 years to find a fatal airline crash which had anything to do with the plane itself (2001).

I don't think even the SWA fatality was due to a violation of MX requirements, I think it was a higher level problem more related to design and MX/inspection requirements as dictated by the Mfg and FAA... as opposed to line MX screwups or mismanagement.

Just because there are no fatal crashes linked to maintenance issues recently does not mean everything is hunky dory.
On the day of SWAʻs fatal fan blade incident, Delta and UAL had emergency landings due to maintenance issues.
There are a dozen or so emergency landings a month in the US. Some are pax related, but the majority are maintenance related. Its really not many, but they do happen. The redundancy of systems and pilot training help to alleviate the dangers.

It is the system and process that keep aircraft from crashing, NOT the ability of maintenance personnel. Very few A&Ps can repair a car, most struggle with motorcycles and lawn equipment.

Were you one of those incompetent A&Ps yourself? :rolleyes:

I hold a certificate because its free to do so. I quit that line of work long ago and now question what I was thinking at the time.

Maybe kevbo's not too far off after all. After six years of stalling on a contract this is their plan? Looks like SWA jumped out of the frying pan, and then poured fuel on the fire...


Southwest Airlines declares 'operational emergency,' orders mechanics to report for work or risk firing

Southwest Airlines Co. declared an "operational emergency" Friday because of an unusually high number of aircraft taken out of service for maintenance, and ordered all scheduled mechanics to show up for work or risk being fired.

Workers "alleging illness" will be required to provide a doctor's note on their first day back at work, the Dallas-based airline said in a memo. Some workers might be called in on overtime, the carrier said, and those refusing to report for duty could face firing.

"This is not the type of communication I (or any leader) want to issue, but it is necessary to get our aircraft back in service in order to serve our customers," according to the memo from Lonnie Warren, senior director of technical operations.


The number of planes taken out of service recently has more than doubled from the daily average of about 20, Southwest said in a statement, "with no common theme among the reported items." The carrier had 750 Boeing Co. 737 aircraft in its fleet at the end of 2018, and operational planners have been working to minimize the impact on customers.

"We are requiring all hands on deck to address maintenance items so that we may promptly return aircraft to service," the airline said.

O Rings
Separately, Southwest alerted the Federal Aviation Administration about a maintenance issue involving the suitability of engine fuel-pump filter seals, or O-rings, on a limited number of planes, the regulator said in a statement. The airline completed the necessary repairs, the FAA said.

Southwest said all 22 affected aircraft have been returned to service.


The carrier has been in contract talks with the union representing mechanics for more than six years. Members of the Aircraft Mechanics Fraternal Association, representing 2,700 Southwest workers, rejected a tentative contract agreement in September.

In 2017, Southwest accused the union of encouraging members to refuse overtime assignments in order to pressure the company in contract talks. A lawsuit filed by the airline was suspended in 2018 after an initial agreement was reached.

A statement posted Friday on the union's website from national director Bret Oestreich accused Southwest of creating the emergency.

"This declaration ... occurs just (11) days after a CBS News report detailing the efforts of Southwest maintenance to resist coercive pressure to ignore aircraft damage and the FAA's confirmation of the degraded safety culture at Southwest," the statement read. "Unfortunately, Southwest's response has been to increase the level of coercion and further degrade safety. Southwest operates with the lowest ratio of technicians-to-aircraft of any major carrier."

Oestreich urged union members "not to be baited into acts of defiance that will be characterized as insubordination. We must follow the adage 'work now, grieve later.' Work hard, be productive, and let us get those broken planes back into service in an airworthy condition."

He stressed that he wasn't calling for an unlawful job action, which would "further complicate our effort to achieve an equitable agreement. We are only asking that we be permitted to perform our job in accordance with federal law - nothing more and nothing less."

Mary Schlangenstein, Bloomberg, and The Dallas Morning News reported this story.

I've worked for a lot of maintenance departments. I've yet to meet a manager who wasn't a mechanic. Ever.

Most are experienced mechanics and inspectors.

I've been a working A&P for a lot of years now, and have yet to see any standard in the FAR dealing with a requirement to repair lawnmowers or cars.

There's no federal certification for lawnmower mechanics nor for automotive mechanics, but there certainly is for those working on aircraft.

There's not a damn thing in AC43.13 about repairing motorcycles.

Aviation is governed at the federal level, everything else is under state or professional organizations. This by itself doesn't make an FAA certificate any better. I believe the standards for aircraft workers are far lower than any of the other common skilled trades. I would include much of unskilled labor for that matter.

A program that is federally certified leads to an “unskilled” labor profession

A program that is state or professionally certified leads to a “skilled” labor profession.

That says enough right there.

No. The fact that labor negotiations are in play is all that really needs be said.

The rest is confirmation bias and political drama.

The fact is that I can inspect any aircraft, regardless of how well maintained at any level, and find discrepancies, and there's a high probability that I could find the means to ground it were I to choose.

The difference between automotive mechanics and aircraft mechanics is that the aircraft mechanic is expected to look beyond the task card at the surrounding area, and be constantly in search of discrepancies and problems. The automotive mechanic seldom looks beyond what's being done. The engine may be cracked through, but if his task is to drain the oil, then that's his mission, and god forbid that he clean the engine while he's there, though federal regulation requires the aircraft mechanic to do it before he starts the work.

That an aircraft mechanic is not required to be an automotive mechanic is an idiotic straw man reach of mindless proportion. The ER doctor is not expected to fix a sewer, and the courtroom attorney is not expected to write nursery rhymes or coach football. Apples to apples, else the example has zero credibility and marks the hack attempting to make the point as a blathering idiot. Someone who suggests that aircraft mechanics should be responsible for repairing motorcycles, for example.

Likewise, the utterly idiotic, brainless, stupid assertion that federal certification in any way lessens a mechanic's ability, skill, or attention to detail, or the bald-faced lie that automotive certification is required at the state or any other level. Again, the products of weak argument, which is the hallmark of ignorance and quite possibly, low intellect.

No surprise when bantied about by those who couldn't make it in their profession and who failed. We see this often by the same poster, though. This self-professed authority, with very little experience who isn't working as a mechanic appears like a dark cloud every time the maintenance profession is discussed, his personal mission in life to rain on the parade, always with lies and the perspective of one who failed in his career, and who expresses little to no understanding of the business, yet again.