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Chicago-based United Airlines issued millions in fines by FAA
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According to Associated Press, the Federal Aviation Administration had proposed a series of fines for safety violations against United Airlines and US Airways. The FAA is also proposing a fine of $3.8 million against Chicago-based United Airlines for operating a Boeing 737 on more than 200 flights with shop towels stuffed into openings in the engine by mechanics instead of the proper manufacturer’s protective caps. The agency has also proposed a $5.4 million fine against Tempe, Arizona-based US Airways for safety violations. The violations included operating eight planes on a total of 1,647 flights from October 2008 to January 2009.
According to the report, United Airlines’ mechanics found two shop towels being used to cover openings in the oil sump area after the aircraft was shut down due to low oil pressure indications. The plane, a Boeing 737, returned to Denver in April 2008 after an engine had to be shut down due to low oil pressure indications. Following FAA guidelines, according to Megan McCarthy a United spokeswoman, United "immediately reported the incident and our filings to the FAA. United Airlines has the highest standards for safety and we are fully confident we took appropriate and necessary measures to ensure those standards were met." There is no indication as the number of passengers flew on the flights involved in the safety violations.
Among other responsibilities, the FAA is responsible for regulating civil aviation to promote safety. The largest fine proposed by the FAA was $10.2 million in March 2008 against Southwest Airlines for flying nearly 60,000 flights that had missed required examinations in 2006 and 2007. The highest fine ever levied by the agency was nearly $9 million against Eastern Airlines for safety violations, which was never paid due to bankruptcy. The agency had also ordered American Airlines to pay a $7.1 million fine for flying two jets 58 times without making repairs after both an FAA inspector and American Airlines’ own mechanics had identified problems with autopilot systems on the planes.
For more information please visit: http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/chi-tc-biz-faa-1014-1015oct15,0,5695784.story, http://www.chicagobusiness.com/cgi-bin/news.pl?id=35798, www.faa.gov, www.united.com, www.usairways.com
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