Here's What's Hot On CBS11TV.COM:
May 16, 2008 2:23 pm US/Central
FAA To Meet With American About Lightning Strikes
DALLAS (AP) ―
The Federal Aviation Administration plans to meet with American Airlines to discuss the company's revised inspection procedures for suspected lightning strikes, an agency spokesman said Friday.
FAA spokesman Les Dorr said the meeting should not be considered an investigation and "there is no hint of any kind of any enforcement action" forthcoming against the Fort Worth-based airline. The federal agency regulates civil aviation.
An American spokesman wouldn't discuss the nature of the change in the inspection procedure. Planes are typically struck about once a year, but damage is usually minimal because they're built to take the strikes, Dorr and the airline said.
The meeting, which could come as early as next week and will probably be in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, follows complaints from a mechanic at New York's John F. Kennedy Airport who "raised questions about the adequacy" of the revised procedures, Dorr said.
Two pilots have also used the FAA's Aviation Safety Action Program, an anonymous reporting system, Dorr said.
"Since it has been brought to our attention, we do plan to meet with American Airlines safety people to discuss the revised procedures," Dorr said.
American spokesman Tim Wagner said an employee in the airline's line maintenance organization will meet with the agency. He also said it is not unusual for the airline to revise inspection procedures.
The FAA sent a letter to American last year after the airline issued a new work card to mechanics that lists the inspection procedures, Wagner said. He declined to discuss the changes, saying it was something between American and the FAA, but said the procedures ensure the planes are safe.
Mike Hatfield, an American mechanic at Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport and an official with the Transport Workers Union Local 565, said he was unaware of mechanics' concerns. He said mechanics verify that a plane is in proper working order if a pilot notifies them of a possible lightning strike and was unaware of any recent changes.
"If we get any type of complaint about lightning strikes, and we find sufficient enough damage," then mechanics can pull a plane out of service, Hatfield said.
Hatfield said mechanics at DFW Airport see evidence of lightning strikes about every other month.
"Planes are regularly struck by lightning and they are designed to be able to withstand it," Wagner said. "They are designed to take lightning hits and keep on flying."
Shares of AMR, the parent company of American Airlines, fell 32 cents, or 3.4 percent, to $9.16 on Friday afternoon.
(© 2008 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)
