Looks like someone ratted on aa!

[FWAAA]

Pardon me, miss. There appears to be a mouse on the aircraft.

That's nothing, sir. This aircraft contains an estimated 900-1000 mice.

 

[jimntx]

I thought the special project was the one with all the seats removed and we pile 400 people into an MD-80. 😛

Actually, it might be more. We are currently lobbying the FAA to change the designation of certain onboard structures from "Overhead bins" to "F/C lie flat seats."

 

[Wretched Wrench]

This is neither hot news nor is it terribly upsetting. And it is not confined to one airplane or one airline.

Many of our planes have rats. I have found a few dead ones who died chewing through a wire in a system I was trouble-shooting. All the ones I found were laboratory rats, not the common Norwegian Roof Rat we hate. I am sure they escaped from damaged shipping containers. They are really nice little critters, as they are bred for gentle dispositions so they can be handled. Unfortunately, they are not house-trained. I have caught several and given them to neighborhood kids as pets. I have even heard stories of a cat on this plane or that, but cannot verify. There is a lot of space for critters to roam in the walls, above the ceilings and below the floors. They could be exterminated by fumigation, but then there would be the offensive odor of dead rats. And dead rats draw flies who lay eggs etc.

When we had MAC flights out of Vietnam, we would occasionally spot a really big rat, presumably picked up in Saigon. I was always nervous about crawling around in the belly and having one of them confront me. They could be aggressive.

I think live trapping is the answer, but that requires commitment, coordination and follow-up, all of which seem to be in short supply lately.

 

[AAStew]

This is neither hot news nor is it terribly upsetting. And it is not confined to one airplane or one airline.

How can this be not terribly upsetting? These critters can chew through wires, correct? They can defecate on passengers food. They can cause a fire. It all sounds very upsetting to me.

 

[mga707]

They can defecate on passengers food.

hmmm...would anyone be able to tell the difference?
(sorry--couldn't resist!)

 

[IORFA]

I guess they could cr$p on the food if they could get into the cart or the ovens. Probably not too likely. Now if they were in the catering kitchen, like they were in ORD, then that is a different story.

 

[twaokc]

AA needs to put food on the airplanes before they can crap on it.

 

[Wretched Wrench]

How can this be not terribly upsetting? These critters can chew through wires, correct? They can defecate on passengers food. They can cause a fire. It all sounds very upsetting to me.

Ya know what? You're right. Mea culpa.

I guess I am just blasé because it has been going on for so long.

 

[TWU informer]

Darn,

And I thought we were going to be discussing something exciting like "high speed internet" at 35,000ft.

Turns out the rats stole the show.

Someday, soon, the WIFI story will dominate the industry news and the rats will take a back seat then.

 

[NewHampshire Black Bears]

Well now that we ALL have had a "chuckle" about this(myself included), 2 Questions;

(and I DON"T want to hear about CO/DL/UA/US or NW mice)

1. WHAT IS AA GOING TO "DO" about rodents chewing through CRITICAL wiring ???????????????

2. What is the FAA going to "DO" about this KNOWN fact ????

NH/BB's


ps,

BRAVO to the "whistle blower" !!!!!!

 

[coolflyingfool]

I guess you could say, "HOLY FECES"!!

 

[Crapdog]

Well now that we ALL have had a "chuckle" about this(myself included), 2 Questions;

(and I DON"T want to hear about CO/DL/UA/US or NW mice)

1. WHAT IS AA GOING TO "DO" about rodents chewing through CRITICAL wiring ???????????????

2. What is the FAA going to "DO" about this KNOWN fact ????

NH/BB's
ps,

BRAVO to the "whistle blower" !!!!!!

First of all rodent, bugs and other critters have been making their way on to aircraft since the Wright brothers. It is very common. Every night at our stations there are traps set to catch the little boogers. There are written procedures on how to deal with them. This is not a true safety issue like carrying large dangerous animals like pit bulls. Twice in the past few years there has been some serious damage done to the aircraft while in flight by these animals. Rodents and bugs are just a nuisance just like in our home. As far as the health issue they don't get into the food because it's loaded just before flight. There's too many people around at that time however after the last flight of the day sometimes the leftovers are left on the plane for a few hours and that's when we see them. And to answer your question about what we do about the chewed up critical wiring? We repair it. All aircraft have multiple redundancy designed into critical systems. Sometimes wires just break because of normal vibration and yes we fix those too. And to answer your question about what is the FAA going to do about this? The same thing they've done for years. Make sure the aircraft are designed to fly with hungry critters chewing on everything.........!

 

[MCI transplant]

First of all rodent, bugs and other critters have been making their way on to aircraft since the Wright brothers. It is very common. Every night at our stations there are traps set to catch the little boogers. There are written procedures on how to deal with them. This is not a true safety issue like carrying large dangerous animals like pit bulls. Twice in the past few years there has been some serious damage done to the aircraft while in flight by these animals. Rodents and bugs are just a nuisance just like in our home. As far as the health issue they don't get into the food because it's loaded just before flight. There's too many people around at that time however after the last flight of the day sometimes the leftovers are left on the plane for a few hours and that's when we see them. And to answer your question about what we do about the chewed up critical wiring? We repair it. All aircraft have multiple redundancy designed into critical systems. Sometimes wires just break because of normal vibration and yes we fix those too. And to answer your question about what is the FAA going to do about this? The same thing they've done for years. Make sure the aircraft are designed to fly with hungry critters chewing on everything.........!

<_< -----Are you really serious? What we're talking about here isn't just one or two little guys! We're tacking a hundred or more! Not dangerous? What about the nests they found on top of Oxygen generators? You must be a pencil pusher, because obviously you don't know anything about aircraft! When a mouse naws through a critical system wiring, you just pull over the side of the road and fix it? Right!!!! 😉 Redundant systems? What happens when one of these little guys naws into a hot wire, shorts himself out, and starts a fire? What redundant system do you have for that!? Oh wrench! These are not lab mice we're talking about! The point is aa had prior knowledge of the problem, and obviously did nothing about it! To let an aircraft get to this point is ridiculous! I'm wondering what the reaction would have been if this aircraft had gone to AFW, or TUL for work? Maybe that's why they sent it here?

 

[AirLUVer]

Pardon me, miss. There appears to be a mouse on the aircraft.

That's nothing, sir. This aircraft contains an estimated 900-1000 mice.

900-1000 estimated dead mice, Don't you think that would cause a very noticeable odor. I feel the numbers were Highly exaggerated, especially given that they were based on the assumption of many dead mice being in each section of insulation that was thrown out. I think if it had been anywhere north of 100 or more dead mice on the plane, the FAA would have confiscated the insulation and done a physical count of the mice and fined AA.

 

[MCI transplant]

900-1000 estimated dead mice, Don't you think that would cause a very noticeable odor. I feel the numbers were Highly exaggerated, especially given that they were based on the assumption of many dead mice being in each section of insulation that was thrown out. I think if it had been anywhere north of 100 or more dead mice on the plane, the FAA would have confiscated the insulation and done a physical count of the mice and fined AA.

<_< ---- This was an estimate of the exterminator, or the worker for the exterminator. And yes, I feel this was an exaggerated number! But, from what I'm told, that aircraft recked! Especially the cargo compartments! I personally haven't been on this aircraft, and frankly don't want to, but from what I'm told, is quit a mess. As for the FAA, frankly they are nowhere to be seen! But neither has our own "TWU Safety Committee"! :unsure: