FAA aims to fine American Airlines $7.1m
WASHINGTON - American Airlines may face $7.1 million in US penalties for deferring maintenance, deficiencies in drug and alcohol testing, and inadequate lighting inspections.
American violated Federal Aviation Administration rules by flying two Boeing Co. MD-83 planes 58 times in December 2007 after pilots reported problems, the FAA said.
"We do not agree with the FAA's findings," said American, owned by AMR Corp. "The proposed penalties are excessive."
The FAA's announcement followed criticism from lawmakers that the agency has been too cozy with carriers it regulates. An FAA supervisor allowed Southwest Airlines to fly 46 planes for eight days last year without fuselage inspections, prompting congressional hearings.
After the Southwest incident, the FAA forced AMR in April to ground 300 MD-80s for inspections. In all, 3,300 flights were canceled, and 360,000 passengers were stranded.
The carrier operated an MD-83 on Dec. 11 and 12 on eight flights in airspace from which the jet should have been barred after the carrier improperly deferred maintenance on the autopilot system, the FAA said. AMR flew the plane for another 10 flights after an inspector discovered the deferral and informed the airline, the agency said.
American "did not check for the actual problem" and instead put off maintenance after the autopilot disconnected during landing in an incident involving the same aircraft on Dec. 21, the FAA said. The FAA said the plane made another 36 flights, and workers later discovered the fault was with an altimeter, not the autopilot.
"The FAA believes the large total amount of the fine for these violations is appropriate because American Airlines was aware that appropriate repairs were needed," it said.
The fine includes $1.7 million the FAA proposed in May for past flaws in drug and alcohol testing and $1 million for operating planes without timely checks on emergency-escape lighting systems. The penalties are unrelated to American's April groundings and stepped-up surveillance of carriers put in place by the FAA after the Southwest disclosure, said a spokeswoman.
American will have an opportunity to respond to the proposed fines, the FAA said. American has requested a meeting. 