“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/

 

“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.