Is it just me or is the FAA out to close down the industry in the USA? American Airlines have just been slapped with a penalty of $7,500,000 for a paperwork snafu.
Now we all know there are rules in place and they are there for good reasons but when there is no safety issue but merely a wrong selection in the MEL I am at a loss to see how the huge penalty can be justified. For those of you who are unsure of how an MEL works let me explain.
The manufacturer of the aircraft provides each aircraft with a list of the equipment which, given the right controls and circumstances, the aircraft can still be safely operated when this equipment is not working. It could be something as simple as a landing light or as complicated as the auto pilot. Normally, on an airliner, the MEL book can be a few inches thick. The pilots and the maintenance personnel are trained in the operation of the MEL and without it a lot of flights would not be on time.
Because American has used the wrong entry in the MEL to defer the fixing of the equipment the FAA have imposed a huge fine. The equipment was allowed to be broken while the aircraft operated and the only thing wrong was a paperwork entry. No lives were at risk and the equipment was fixed within the limits of the MEL. So why the size of the fine? The FAA are not saying but American's lawyers are asking and the whole thing is going to be a long drawn out legal battle. The likes of which neither American Airlines or the cash strapped FAA can afford!
Now we all know there are rules in place and they are there for good reasons but when there is no safety issue but merely a wrong selection in the MEL I am at a loss to see how the huge penalty can be justified. For those of you who are unsure of how an MEL works let me explain.
The manufacturer of the aircraft provides each aircraft with a list of the equipment which, given the right controls and circumstances, the aircraft can still be safely operated when this equipment is not working. It could be something as simple as a landing light or as complicated as the auto pilot. Normally, on an airliner, the MEL book can be a few inches thick. The pilots and the maintenance personnel are trained in the operation of the MEL and without it a lot of flights would not be on time.
Because American has used the wrong entry in the MEL to defer the fixing of the equipment the FAA have imposed a huge fine. The equipment was allowed to be broken while the aircraft operated and the only thing wrong was a paperwork entry. No lives were at risk and the equipment was fixed within the limits of the MEL. So why the size of the fine? The FAA are not saying but American's lawyers are asking and the whole thing is going to be a long drawn out legal battle. The likes of which neither American Airlines or the cash strapped FAA can afford!
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