So Far, No Problems Found
ANN REALTIME UPDATE
03.21.08 1400 EDT: On Friday, the Federal Aviation
Administration clarified earlier reports the agency had forced
United Airlines to ground seven of its Boeing 747-400s, due to
possible avionics calibration errors. Agency spokesman Ian Gregor
told The Associated Press the FAA did not order the checks, as
previously reported -- but that United pulled the planes from
service on its own accord.
In related news, United said Friday it had found no errors with
altitude reporting equipment on seven planes that recently
underwent maintenance at a facility in South Korea. FAA inspectors
recently found calibration equipment out-of-spec at that facility,
which led to the groundings.
United spokeswoman Jean Medina said one of the affected aircraft
was back in service Thursday night, with the other six due to
return shortly. Medina admitted the checks are taking longer than
the "few hours" the airline originally predicted... but stressed no
flights were delayed due to the problem. (There are a
number of passenger reports to the contrary, however --
Ed.)
Original Report
This'll do nothing to quell the argument over outsourced
maintenance for US airlines. On Thursday, seven United Airlines
Boeing 747-400s were temporarily grounded, while personnel worked
to determine whether cockpit avionics serviced at a South Korean
maintenance station were in compliance.
The FAA ordered the jets grounded, according to The Wall Street
Journal, after calibration equipment at the Ameco facility was
found to be faulty. A source close to the matter said the needed
checks require only a few hours, but added one UAL flight from San
Francisco had already been delayed by as much as five hours.
FAA inspectors in South Korea
reportedly found some of the equipment at Ameco wasn't properly
calibrated, and ordered the airline to ground the aircraft.
United's action comes two days after the FAA announced a sweeping "spot check"
program, to determine whether airline maintenance
facilities were properly complying with required checks and
airworthiness directives. The agency took action following
revelations Southwest Airlines failed to comply with required
fatigue and rudder inspection checks last year, but continued
flying the planes anyway.
United spokeswoman Jean Medina told Bloomberg the airline "found
no issues" so far, and claimed no flights had been delayed or
cancelled due to the checks.
It didn't take long for Teamsters President James Hoffa Jr. to
link the groundings to the controversial issue of outsourced
maintenance at foreign-owned facilities. "This just shows how risky
it is to send airplanes offshore to be repaired," Hoffa said. As ANN reported Thursday, the
Teamsters are actively seeking to take over representation for
United mechanics.
Medina downplayed Hoffa's claims. "United's maintenance
requirements and procedures meet, and typically exceed, FAA
standards," she said in an email to Bloomberg. "They are the same
no matter where the work is performed -- in the United States or
overseas."
It's not clear how many United 747s may have flown away from the
facility with erroneous altitude recording calibrations, or if
planes flying for other airlines may have also been affected.