FAA to Fine American Airlines
FAA to Fine American Airlines
Associated Press (AP) is reporting that the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is close to wrapping up a two-year investigation of purported safety violations at American Airlines. In a story by Joan Lowry, it is reported that it could be one of the largest fines in the agency’s history, according to government and industry officials familiar with the investigation.
The U.S. Transportation Department’s inspector general is expected to release an audit in the next few days that criticizes the FAA for lax oversight of aircraft maintenance at American, the story reports. The FAA safety investigation involves improperly secured wiring of American’s 290 MD-80's that resulted in temporarily grounding hundreds of planes n April, 2008.
The story reports that the proposed fine against American is expected to be about $10.2 million, the same that the FAA proposed against Southwest Airlines in March, 2008, which was the result of nearly 60,000 flights involving planes that had missed required examinations for structural cracks. It was settled for $7.5 million in March, 2009.