United Airlines May Be Fined For Allegedly Missing Safety Checks
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Interest in air travel has increased over the last few years. Along with this, increased security was put on to avoid unwanted disasters. In America, the Federal Aviation Administration is responsible for safety. The FAA are taking action against United Airlines and they want to steal it.
The FAA wants to fine United Airlines
Aviation safety regulators want to fine United Airlines Holdings Inc. over $1.1 million for allegedly flying a Boeing 777 without carrying out some of the required fire detection system checks.
The Federal Aviation Administration says United removed the 777 fire warning system check from its pre-flight checklists in 2018.
A spokesperson for United released a statement saying the pre-flight checklist was changed in 2018 "to account for redundant built-in checks performed automatically by the 777" and that the FAA reviewed and approved the change at that time.
An FAA aviation safety inspector determined that an inspection of the fire warning system was not being conducted on April 19, 2021. The FAA alleged that United knowingly operated six aircraft without performing the required inspections during a three-and-a-half hour after the problem was discovered.
United said it immediately updated its procedures in 2021 after being informed by the FAA that United's maintenance program requires pilots to conduct pre-flight inspections.
United Airlines has 30 days to respond to the FAA after receiving an enforcement letter from the agency.
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United Airlines maintenance error
The FAA said United failed to inspect parts of the wings of about twenty Boeing 777s, leading to the cancellation of flights last September.
United discovered that it had failed to perform required panel inspections on the leading edge of the wings of 25 jets and had to take them out of service.
As a result, around 18 flights were removed, mostly long-haul international travel. United discovered the problem during an audit and reported it to the FAA.
The omitted checks are to examine the area of the wing where the slats extend during takeoff and landing to generate lift.
The wing panel inspection that United missed was not related to engine problems and was not part of the plane's return to service, but rather a routine maintenance activity, the FAA said. Some of the planes that missed inspections were still parked and had not yet returned to flying.
This incident did not result in the imposition of a fine.
Increased security
The shift in safety in the United States began after a series of aviation tragedies that culminated in the 1996 summit. Accidents in 1994 involving widely used USAir-operated Boeing and McDonnell Douglas jets, as well as two smaller turboprops, claimed a total of 252 lives life.
Regulators and industry representatives recognized that changes were necessary.
So executives set to work developing new tactics to counter emerging threats long before they escalated into headline tragedies. Eventually, mechanics and air traffic controllers adopted similar self-reporting programs.
Today's travelers are benefiting from another decade of improved US carrier safety, with the fatality rate down to one in 120 million departures.
United Airlines share price
United Airlines shares rose from 37.21 to 52.50 in the new year, then fell to 50.92. The last time UAL shares saw such a level was at the beginning of May last year.
Source: wsj.com, finance.yahoo.com
