Airlines using uncertified repair shops
FAA Inspector General hits airlines, safety
agency, for lack of oversight of critical repair work.
Airlines are using uncertified workers for critical maintenance work, which operate without enough oversight of either the carriers or the Federal Aviation Administration, according to an agency investigation.
Air carriers have used non-certificated facilities for years, said the report by the FAA's Inspector General, but mostly for minor maintenance tasks. The report said that has changed in recent years, as it identified 21 facilities that performed maintenance critical to the airworthiness of the aircraft.
"Some of the critical repairs we identified that non-certificated repair facilities perform include engine replacements and adjustments to flight control systems," the report said.
------------
The report said the use of a non-certified facility has already been cited as a key factor in one fatal crash -- the January 2003 Air Midwest crash in Charlotte, North Carolina. "The mechanics incorrectly adjusted a flight control system that ultimately was determined to be a contributing cause of the crash," said the report. All 21 people on that flight were killed in the crash.
So, after you get past the TSA crap, you’re riding on a plane that had it’s engines tuned by Billy Bob. Phew!
Posted: Wed - December 21, 2005 at 07:34 AM