What is wrong with the F.A.A. ?
I am a licensed Aircraft Mechanic (A&P) (AMT), and I am very concerned with the future of aircraft safety and the longevity of the aircraft mechanic. In recent years the airlines have turned to contract maintenance to reduce the cost of maintaining there aircraft. This move makes sense. What doesn’t make sense is the increase in flight crew maintenance. More and more when there is a maintenance issue with an aircraft, the pilots, flight attendants and ground handlers are performing maintenance procedures prior to calling out a licensed mechanic. I can’t count how many times I have been called to an aircraft for a problem that was discovered 30 minutes or more prior to receiving a call for maintenance. Upon arriving at the plane, I would find that the crew had tried numerous maintenance actions, with out fixing the problem. This wouldn’t bother me so much if it was limited to non airworthy items. Recently I was called to respond to a gate return of an aircraft for a problem with its navigation system. On my way to the aircraft, I was called and told not to bother coming just yet, the crew is going to try and fix it at the end of the runway. When I saw the aircraft take off, 20 minutes later, I wondered how they signed off the logbook. Only licensed mechanics with the proper training can sign off the aircraft, as airworthy, after a repair has been accomplished. Or did they just fail to document a problem with a live aircraft, with passengers on board? It is painfully obvious that flight crews are reporting less and less maintenance problems. With aircraft getting older this doesn’t make a lot of sense. I have many examples of crews pocketing items, to avoid taking a delay outbase. This to me is a major safety issue. Don’t get me wrong, I am not lashing out at the pilots alone, but the airlines that offer incentives for on time performance and punishes for maintenance delays. If the airplane has a mechanical issue it shouldn’t be ignored in order prevent a delay. I think the biggest blame needs to be put on the F.A.A. I am sure they are aware of the airlines actions, it’s what they are paid to do. What will it take for someone to step in and resolve this serious safety issue? Is it going to take a major accident before something is done to put the maintenance back in the mechanics hands? Having seen this neglect in oversight first hand, I am more afraid now of a mechanical failure, rather than a terrorist attack, taking down an airplane.
A concerned mechanic
I am a licensed Aircraft Mechanic (A&P) (AMT), and I am very concerned with the future of aircraft safety and the longevity of the aircraft mechanic. In recent years the airlines have turned to contract maintenance to reduce the cost of maintaining there aircraft. This move makes sense. What doesn’t make sense is the increase in flight crew maintenance. More and more when there is a maintenance issue with an aircraft, the pilots, flight attendants and ground handlers are performing maintenance procedures prior to calling out a licensed mechanic. I can’t count how many times I have been called to an aircraft for a problem that was discovered 30 minutes or more prior to receiving a call for maintenance. Upon arriving at the plane, I would find that the crew had tried numerous maintenance actions, with out fixing the problem. This wouldn’t bother me so much if it was limited to non airworthy items. Recently I was called to respond to a gate return of an aircraft for a problem with its navigation system. On my way to the aircraft, I was called and told not to bother coming just yet, the crew is going to try and fix it at the end of the runway. When I saw the aircraft take off, 20 minutes later, I wondered how they signed off the logbook. Only licensed mechanics with the proper training can sign off the aircraft, as airworthy, after a repair has been accomplished. Or did they just fail to document a problem with a live aircraft, with passengers on board? It is painfully obvious that flight crews are reporting less and less maintenance problems. With aircraft getting older this doesn’t make a lot of sense. I have many examples of crews pocketing items, to avoid taking a delay outbase. This to me is a major safety issue. Don’t get me wrong, I am not lashing out at the pilots alone, but the airlines that offer incentives for on time performance and punishes for maintenance delays. If the airplane has a mechanical issue it shouldn’t be ignored in order prevent a delay. I think the biggest blame needs to be put on the F.A.A. I am sure they are aware of the airlines actions, it’s what they are paid to do. What will it take for someone to step in and resolve this serious safety issue? Is it going to take a major accident before something is done to put the maintenance back in the mechanics hands? Having seen this neglect in oversight first hand, I am more afraid now of a mechanical failure, rather than a terrorist attack, taking down an airplane.
A concerned mechanic