WSJ: American Airlines Mishaps Spur Federal Review

[marmar]

American Air Mishaps Spur Federal Review
By ANDY PASZTOR


The Federal Aviation Administration on Friday said it is stepping up oversight of American Airlines in the wake of three botched landings by the carrier over an 11-day period.

The latest incident, which prompted heightened FAA scrutiny of American's operations, involved a jetliner whose wingtip struck the ground while landing in Austin, Texas, on Christmas Eve. There were no injuries and the McDonnell Douglas MD-80 aircraft was inspected and returned to service. But the incident raised concern inside the FAA, according to people familiar with the matter, because it followed two more-serious landing mistakes on aircraft operated by the AMR Corp. unit in December.

Based on past responses, the FAA could look through records and assess American's efforts to retrain pilots who do poorly on evaluation rides. It may increase the number of inspectors placed inside American cockpits. The FAA can open an enforcement action if it finds systemic weaknesses. In extreme cases, the agency also can impose financial penalties, it said.

On Dec. 13, an American MD-82 ended up with a damaged wingtip after part of its main landing gear veered off the runway while touching down in low visibility in Charlotte, N.C. In Kingston, Jamaica, on Dec. 22 another American Boeing 737 careened off the end of a runway while landing on the island amid heavy rain. The jet's fuselage broke into three sections and its crumpled nose slid to a halt barely feet from the shoreline. Several people were hospitalized, but there were no fatalities. ............(more)

The complete piece is at: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704876104574632493767660078.html?mod=mktws

[malaise]

1. That was major news here this evening

That crash is going to cost American big time.
From personal experience - AA lands way too hard and if I can I fly another airline.